After Hours
by TheBaeTide
Summary: It's after a chance encounter with a young runaway that Rick finds himself working long after he's left the police department, leading him to play a significant role in Michonne's life and her in his. AU. No walkers. Short Story. Rick is Adorable. Michonne is too.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

"...Are you here with someone?"

"No, sir"

"...How old are you?"

"...Eleven, sir"

Rick shifted his weight from one leg to the other, scanning the parking lot for anyone else, "What's your name?"

"Elodie Anthony", The young girl answered, holding a beige rucksack in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.

It was hot outside, the hottest day so far, and Rick had turn away from the sun's rays to speak to her, "You're not from around here, Elodie. I know that"

She bowed her head, her long twisted hair falling around her face.

"Do your parents know where you are?"

"No…"

"...You wanna' tell me where you're coming from then?", Rick tilted his head as he spoke gently to her.

"...Atlanta"

His eyes nearly bulged out of his head, "You came all the way out here? By yourself?"

She nodded, peaking up at him.

"How'd you get here?"

"...I took the bus…"

"You took the bus? ...Did someone get you a ticket?"

"No… I used my dad's credit card and I booked it online…"

Rick's mouth fell open, surprised to learn that a girl so young could do such a thing, when he struggled to even use his own computer, "You know that's not something you're allowed to do, right?"

She nodded a second time, "Yeah… I know"

Rick sighed as he looked towards the benches outside the nearest fast food restaurant, "Why don't we go and have a seat, Elodie"

The girl stood out amongst anyone else in town, not just because of her dark skin, but even her white tank top and white dungarees didn't fit in with the usual dress code of the children of Kings County. However, that wasn't what caught Rick's attention, instead it was the way others had zoomed in on her. He hoped that a parent or guardian would soon retrieve her, but when nobody came, he decided to investigate himself.

"What made you want to come out here?"

Elodie kept her hands on her lap, slumped forward with her gaze low as she answered him, "...A fresh start?"

Rick almost scoffed, " _A fresh start_? You felt like you needed a fresh start?"

"...I guess so"

"...And how would you have gotten a fresh start? What was your plan?"

She shrugged, "I don't know… get a job?"

"That would have been a good idea if you were old enough…", Rick narrowed his eyes at her, "When did you leave?"

"This morning…"

He was beginning to put the pieces of the puzzle together, "Your dad thought you were going to school?"

"Yeah.", She answered quietly.

He sighed, resting his forearms on the table, "Can tell me what made you leave, Elodie?"

Rick only realised she was crying when he heard her sniff, and a tear fell onto her light blue jeans.

"You won't get in trouble or anythan' like that, but I need to know if you are in trouble?", When he saw that she was reluctant to speak, he carried on talking, "I thought I would get in trouble when I ran away as a kid. I didn't get as far as you, in fact I barely even got down the street but still-"

"Why did you run away?", She queried, looking up at him with wet eyes.

"Well, I had an older brother who got on my nerves a lot. One day he broke my favourite toy tractor and I decided I had enough"

Her lips curled up to make a small smile, "That's funny"

"It was a _nice_ tractor. I had just gotten it for Christmas, and I barely got a chance to play with it", Rick made a mental note to bring the memory up with his brother when he next spoke to him, "My point is, we all have our reasons to want to run away sometimes… so can I know what yours is?"

She whipped her eyes with her sweatshirt sleeve, "My mom and dad divorced…"

He slowly exhaled, "Yeah?"

"...We moved and I miss my mom. I don't get to see her that much anymore… and I started a new school", Her voice broke as she spoke, "And the girls in my class don't like me and the boy's tease me… I hate going there"

Needless to say, Rick felt horrible for the girl, "Why didn't you go to your mom's?"

"My dad said she's always busy with work… I didn't think she'd even be home"

"...Did you talk to your dad about everything?"

"No. I don't think he likes me that much"

His eyes widened, "What makes you say that?"

"...My dad and my sister like the same things...So does his girlfriend… they all like sports, my sister's on the volleyball team, and we always go to her games or… they'll watch TV together… they like the same movies"

"And what do you like?"

Her eyes finally trailed up to meet his, "...I like to read...and I like painting…"

"Well maybe you can ask him about going to the bookstore together? Or maybe some kind of arts and crafts store…"

"I used to do that with my mom. We liked the same stuff"

"...Does your mom live close to you?"

"...Not really."

He gave her a slow understanding nod, "Well It seems that you have a lot on your plate, Elodie. New home, new school… I think it can all be really scary at first, especially when you feel like you don't have anyone to talk to about it… but you can't just leave like that. You're parents and your sister are probably worried sick about you"

"I know", She breathed, dropping her gaze again.

"When thangs get tough, we have to figure out a way to deal with them because then we learn how to handle stuff. If you're having a hard time at school then talk to your teacher, tell her how you're feeling so she can offer her help. Maybe even ask your dad about calling your mom more? I'm sure she'd want to know how you're feeling or how you're coping with thangs?", He peered at her closely for a moment, then sat up straight, reaching in his shirt pocket for an old receipt and a pen, "And you know what, you can also give me a call…"

Her eyebrows sprung up as she watched him begin to jot down his details.

"...If you can't get through to your mom", He handed her the small piece of paper, "My name is officer Rick. You can call me anytime at all, but I need you to promise me that you won't ever do somethan' like this again. If you feel like you wanna' leave, then just give me a call first and we'll see what we can do to help you feel better, alright?"

She glanced at the receipt, "Okay. Thanks"

"That's no problem at all…", He scanned the area around him, "Well it's a good thang I was done for the day. Have you eaten anythan'?"

She shook her head, "Not since breakfast…"

He rose his hand to check the time, "Well then you should be starving by now, right?'

"A little…"

"Well let's get you somethan' to eat then"

It wasn't the standard procedure for such an event, but Rick wanted to do all he could to help the girl, even if that meant sacrificing his early return home.

After purchasing Elodie a burger and fries, with a milkshake, they took seat inside the restaurant, and Rick did his best to get in contact with her father while she ate, but it was proving impossible.

"...Bram Stokers Dracula…"

Rick looked up at the young girl in shock, "That's your favourite book?"

"Yeah", She smiled proudly, "It's really interesting"

"I'm pretty sure you're way too young to have read that", He frowned at her, "In fact, I _know_ that you're too young to have read that"

"I've read everything else, and books aimed for kids my age are all the same. It gets boring after a while"

"I understand that, but maybe you should stay out of the adult section at the bookstore next time…", He exhaled tiredly, "What about artist? You like that Van Gogh's work?"

She shook her head, her brows furrowing, "Nah… I really like Hans Memling"

Rick's face fell blank, "Who?"

Her mouth fell agape, "You haven't seen the "The last judgment"?

"No, Elodie, I'm afraid I haven't"

She turned in her seat and began to rummage through her rucksack beside her in the booth, and soon retrieved a thick book, laying it out on the table as she flicked through the pages.

"...I never known anyone to take an art book with them when they runaway-"

"See?", She held up the book and pointed to the picture that took up two pages in the book, "He was a German painter from the Renaissance period"

Rick learned forward to inspect the image, "Oh?"

"Yeah. His work is amazing, and so detailed", The girl's eyes glowed as she spoke.

"You're definitely not from around here", He smirked, peering down at his phone when he felt his phone vibrate under his hand. He swiftly answered when he recognised it at one of the numbers he had just called, "Hello, Mrs Anthony?"

"Yes? Sorry, who is this?", The woman sounded shaken.

"It's Lieutenant Rick Grimes from the King's Country-"

"Oh god", She gasped, "What happened?"

"I have your daughter here, she's safe-"

"In Kings county?!", She yelled, leading Rick to tilt his head away from the receiver.

"Yes, ma'am. I've tried to give your ex-husband a call but-"

"He's out looking for her, I just spoke to him"

"Oh, well, I'll let you pass on the news, and if you need directions-"

"It's fine, I know where the town is. Where is she?"

"She's here, she's eating at the moment but it you'd like to speak to her-"

"Please?"

Elodie sat up straighter when she took the phone from Rick, as if her mother could see her, "Hi, mom… yes, mom… no, mom… yeah… yeah… I know, I know… I know… I'm fine… Yes… he _looks_ like a real cop...yeah… okay. Bye"

Rick retrieved his phone, not allowing himself to wonder what her mother may have asked about him, "Ma'am?"

"Yes, uh, I'll give her father a call, and I should be there within the hour"

"Alright", He bid her mother goodbye, and set his cell phone back down beside him.

Elodie continued to show him her favourite pieces of art while she ate, and Rick continued to show interest, though he couldn't get as excited as her. He hadn't come across a childlike Elodie before, and he found her oddly fascinating as she touched on topics that he would usually cover with another adult.

"...That's why I don't agree with eating honey. And I really like bees"

Rick slowly nodded at the end of the girl's speech, "Well, I'll be sure to remember that the next time I'm about to buy a jar of honey… So how about I get you to the police department now?"

Elodie huffed quietly, picking up her book from the table, "Alright"

They left the restaurant, and Rick drove them to the police department, where they spent a time in his office; Elodie continued to feed him information about just about anything, while Rick went over a fresh set of papers that had been left on his desk. The contrast between his conversations with Elodie and the ones he had with his own son were like night and day. Carl couldn't be more boyish if he tried, and he had inherited his father's immature sense of humour, whereas Elodie was more mature for their age group, and almost wise beyond her years. He wondered what would happen if he put the two children together in a room, and nearly laughed aloud when he pictured the possibly awkward scenario.

"...And that's why I don't think that you should by a real tree. Plastic ones aren't that bad"

Rick was beginning to see a pattern forming, as Elodie would go off on her little rants, leaving him stumped as he listened, then she'd sit back and smile innocently. He slowly nodded, unclasping his hands, "Well, Elodie, I'll be sure to remember that the next time I buy a Christmas tree"

She began to smile, but stopped, her brows furrowing at him, "Do you have kids?"

"I do, actually. I have a son named Carl. He's eleven, too"

"Oh, really?… So are you married?"

He involuntarily tensed, "No, I'm afraid I'm not anymore"

Her smile returned, "Do you like anyone?"

Rick squinted at her, "Do I like anyone?"

"Yeah, like, do you _like_ like anyone?"

He slowly shook his head, "No? Not since the eighth grade?"

"Then can you take my mom on a date?"

His eyebrows shot up into his forehead, "Can I what-"

"She's thirty-six, she has her own store, she likes lobster, she doesn't like dogs, she likes to go rollerblading sometimes, she-"

"Elodie", He raised his hands to stop her, "That's all very… nice… but I can't make an agreement like that with you-"

"She's beautiful", Elodie insisted with a wider smile, "She runs a lot, and she does yoga"

He stared at her for a moment, wondering how he was going to worm his way out of the discussion, "I'm sure your mother is a very lovely lady, but I'm afraid I can't ask her out for you-"

"Then do it for yourself?", The girl was persistent, "She listens to a lot of country music too so I think she'd like your accent"

Rick shook his head, "That's...I'm flattered, but no-"

"Lieutenant, I have a Mrs Anthony here…", Aaron announced as he stepped through the open door of his office, followed by the woman who didn't even need an introduction, as she and her daughter looked virtually the same.

"Hi mom", The girl chirped, putting her book down in Rick's desk so she could stand up and greet her mother.

"Hey, honey", Her mother beamed at her, taking her in arms when she was close enough.

Rick rose from his seat whilst giving his colleagues a 'Thank you' nod, "Hello Mrs Anthony, I'm the Lieutenant you spoke to earlier on the phone"

"Nice to meet you and thank you so much", She held out a well-manicured hand to him and Rick took it a little to eagerly, "I had no idea that she had even missed school or how she got all the way out here-"

"I took the bus", Elodie informed proudly, but her demeanour changed when her mother peered at her, "...Sorry"

"Uh, Elodie why don't you…", Rick finally let go of her mother's warm, soft hand, so he could find some change in his pocket, "Go to the vending machine and get you and your mom some snacks for the journey back?"

"Oh, no, you don't have to do that", Her mother shook her head, opening her purse, "I have some-"

"Thank you!", Elodie already took the few bills from Rick and scurried out the room.

He mother looked after the door, "Did she just-"

"You'd be surprised how fast kids move when money's involved", He joked, before gestured towards the chair next to her, "Have a seat, please"

She did as she was told, sitting with one lean leg draped over the other, "So do I need to sign anything?"

"Uh, no. Not in this case, I haven't made a report because I don't really think that's necessary", He sat forward in his seat, resting on his forearms on his desk, "Your daughter is a very, very, very smart girl. I don't think I've ever come across a child like her before, and I'm actually very glad I met her because she's changed my stance on a lot of thangs in such a short amount of time"

The woman chuckled, and her smile all but lit up the room, stunning Rick into submission. He had to shake his head to focus again, "And uh… she explained to me what it was that made her come out here and… long story short… she said she missed you a lot, and she's feeling left out everywhere, at home and at school…"

Her smile vanished, her eyes widening, "She told you that?"

"Yes, ma'am"

She glanced back towards the door, "She hasn't said anything to me?"

"Or her father...Your ex-husband has primary custody of your daughters?"

Her eyes darted up to meet his, "He does…"

His eyes never left her face, "Do you and your ex-husband not get along?"

Her full lips coated in gloss pursed, "That's… we… no. We don't"

"I'm a divorced man myself Mrs Anthony", He hoped that the piece of information left his mouth as smoothly as he intended, "I understand it's not easy, especially when there are kids involved, and sometimes they get overlooked because we're too busy fighting with each other, but your daughter obviously wants her mother around to help her with the things she's going through"

"Yeah", She sighed, tucking her long locks behind her ear, "I'm glad she told someone because I don't think I would have known otherwise"

"I can explain that to your husband if you think it will help? Hearing somethan' like that from an officer always seems to have a better effect"

She scoffed whilst she looked elsewhere, "That man can only hear his own voice"

"I think that's the case for most men…"

A little giggle left her as she ran her hands over her hair, "Yeah, maybe you're right about that"

"...She said she came out here to get a fresh start", Rick repeated the girl's words with a grin on his face.

"A fresh start?", Her mother repeated, looking at him with sheer disbelief, "She's eleven years old, she's barely cooked"

Laughter erupted from Rick, "I thought that myself. It reminded me of when my son said he couldn't wait to retire, when he found out what it meant"

"How old is your son?"

"He's eleven, too"

She visibly cringed, "So you know-"

"I'm afraid I do", He sighed, "Sadly for me, my son's too lazy to do just about anything-"

"I think the vending machines broken", Elodie strolled into the room, cradling an abundance of snacks and drinks in her arms, "I put two dollars in and got all this"

"It probably is", Rick's sniggered, "Quickly, put all that in your bag before anyone else sees"

Elodie gasped as she rushed over to her bag, leading Rick to laugh even more, while even her mother rose to her feet, "Well, if there isn't any kind of paperwork to go over then we're free to go?"

"Uh, yeah, you can", Rick mimicked her movements, standing up by his desk.

"I think you have something to say to officer Grimes?", Elodie's mother gave her a knowing look.

"Thank you officer, I won't do it again", She smiled, hoisting her noticeably fuller rucksack on her shoulder. Rick was about so say something when he noticed the girl's eyes darting towards her mother suggestively.

He swiftly ignored her, "I'm very happy to hear that, and you are more than welcome"

"We appreciate that", The mother rested a hand on her daughter's shoulder, "Hopefully you won't be seeing us again under these circumstances"

Elodie's eyebrows sprung up and she began to tip her head towards her mother.

Rick bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing, "Uh, yeah, yeah definitely not under these circumstances"

"Come on, you little stow away, let's go"

Elodie gave Rick one more pleading look, and as tempting as it was, because the woman was strikingly beautiful, he couldn't bring himself to ask her on a date, despite the little cupid's insistence, so he gave her an apologetic look in return. She huffed, visibly disappointed as she walked out the door, "Bye officer Rick"

"Bye, Elodie", He called back, just as her mother glanced over her shoulder, giving him that smile that made his cheeks flame. He watched them walk down the hall until they turned out of sight, and it was only then that he muttered to himself, " _What the hell is wrong with me_?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

"...I really, really hate school, mom. I try to ignore everyone but it's hard when I'm being stared at, or the boys are mimicking everything I say…"

Michonne glanced at her daughter as she drove along the highway, "Have you told your teacher about this?"

"No… I haven't told dad either", Elodie shook her head, "He's always busy with Colette"

It pained Michonne to hear her daughter say such a thing, but it didn't come as a surprise to her. Her ex-husband had always bonded with her elder daughter over their love of sports, while she and Elodie would spend time doing the creative things they liked. She knew it would become more apparent how different they were when they split up, and yet she still hoped the man would make more of an effort. She cleared her throat before she spoke, "Your father knows you're fiercely independent Ellie. He probably thinks that you wouldn't mind if he did more things with Colette because you've always been content to go off on your own. He needs a little reminder that that's not always the case, and I'll talk to him about that, okay?"

She huffed, "...Can't I just live with you?"

Michonne didn't think her heart would sink any further, "...It can't work that way right now, honey. Me and your father are going to figure something out so I can get more time with you girls but it has to be fair, but until then we still have our weekends to look forward to-"

"So I can stay with you tonight? You're going to pick us up after school tomorrow anyway?"

"I think your dad would like it if you were home with him tonight. It will give him a chance to talk to you about what happened today…", She glanced in the girls direction again, "It's a good thing that officer found you and not some… crazed lunatic. You could have gotten hurt, Elodie, you understand that right?"

"I know, but I was careful, I didn't talk to any strangers, accept officer Rick"

"How did you even get your dad's credit card?"

"...He left his wallet on the kitchen counter" .

Michonne inwardly groaned, "I really don't want to hear about you doing anything like that again. If you're having problems then speak with your dad, your sister, or me. You can call me anytime you want, anytime at all, just don't run away, that makes matters worse. You could have knocked me over with a feather when your father told me you weren't at school… You nearly gave me a heart attack"

"I know. Sorry, mom", Her daughter looked at her from beneath her dark lashes, "I don't want you to have a heart attack"

"Thank you, I appreciate that…", She flashed her a quick, but warm smile, "And neither do I"

Elodie returned the gesture as she reached into her bag, "Do you want some chips?"

Michonne chuckled, "You and Colette are going to finish all of that before the day is done"

"It's all my favourites too...Officer Rick was really nice"

"Yes, he was. I should send him a fruit basket or something to say thank you"

"Yeah?", Elodie's eyes lit up as she grinned, "That would be nice… Didn't he sound like one of those old country singers you like?"

She giggled at her daughter, "Yes, he did"

"...He doesn't know much about art though. I had to teach him a few things…"

"That's my girl"

Michonne was dreading coming face to face with her ex-husband, though she always did her best to hide her displeasure. Their relationship had fell apart quite horribly, the divorce was far from amicable, and although she always tried her best to be civil with him, his attitude always wound her up.

Dominic never hesitated to bring up how much more involved he was in raising their girls, as he was the 'house husband', while she was out working. Though it was something he appeared content to do, Michonne was sure he resented her for it, but it made more sense for her to return to work since she made more money. She didn't mind being the breadwinner for all those years, though she wished she would have been able to spend more time with her daughter's, and truth be told, if she knew that her husband would come to use that against her, she would have switched places with him in a heartbeat.

"What in the…", Was all Michonne could utter as they arrived outside her ex-husband's home, where two police cars were sat out front, and an officer paced the front porch.

"What's going on mom?", Elodie quizzed, looking incredibly panicked.

"I'll find out. Come on", Michonne huffed, pulling the keys out those ignition.

They exited the vehicle and made their way towards the front of the house, where the man greeted them with a raised hand to stop them going further, "I'm going to need you to state your names for me, please?"

"Michonne Wilder, Elodie Anthony", She announced, "What's going on?"

"You're the mother?"

"Yes"

The man glanced back at the ajar front door, "Alright, let's take this inside"

Michonne gave Elodie's shoulders a reassuring squeeze as they followed the officer in the house, knowing she was probably even more worried than before.

Dominic was sat at the kitchen table next to his girlfriend with Colette opposite them, while two other officers stood nearby. It was as if someone had injected life into the room when they saw Elodie, all three jumping to their feet.

"Oh my god! Where have you been?!", Dominic exclaimed, taking her in his arms.

"Hey mom!", Colette beamed, making her way over to her mother.

"Hey, honey", Michonne soon embraced the tall girl, "You okay?"

"Yeah, where were you guys?"

Elodie looked over her shoulder at Michonne with pleading eyes for her mother to explain, so she did, "Elodie went on a little bus trip… out of town"

"What?!", Dominic frowned at his daughter.

"I left you a message", Michonne narrowed her eyes at him, "I got a call from the lieutenant there and I tried to call you right after but I didn't get any answer, so I left you a message"

"Which town where you in ma'am?", The female offer asked.

"Kings County. I picked her up from the police department there"

The woman turned her attention to Elodie, "You understand that what you did was very dangerous, right?"

"I know, I won't do it again", Elodie replied hurriedly, "Sorry everyone"

Michonne could see that her ex-husband was secretly fuming, but he would wait for the right moment to show it. After a few more words with the officers, they gave their closing statements before leaving the household, and it was then that Dominic could finally express his annoyance, "I cannot believe that you would do such a thing like this! You left town?! Why?! What for?!"

Elodie sighed as she sat on the couch, "I didn't know what else to do…"

"About what?"

"...Everything…"

Dominic looked towards Michonne, who repeated, "Everything"

The man exhaled heavily, "Well then you talk to me, or someone about it, you don't go running off like that"

"I know", Elodie insisted for a countless time.

"...That's pretty badass though", Colette smirked from beside her mother, but she soon retracted the comment when all the adults in the room sent her pointed looks, "Or _not_ "

"Why don't you two go wash up, I'm sure Arat has dinner ready…", Michonne peered at the woman suggestively.

"Oh! Yeah, come on girls", Arat hopped out of her seat, "How about I warm up that lasagne from last night?"

Michonne watched her daughter's follow the woman out the room reluctantly, and it was only when she heard the footsteps skipping up the stairs that she spoke, "...She's having problems at school, and she said she's getting picked on"

"What? By who?", Dominic narrowed his eyes at her as he sat his hands at his sides.

"Kids in her class. Not only that, but she feels left out here and she wants to spend more time with her mother"

His face fell blank, "She told you all that?"

"Yes."

"Well she's never said anything like that to me"

"She told me that, _and_ she told the lieutenant that found her that", She stated firmly, "This is all just a cry for help and attention, she's a smart girl but she's still a child and she still needs her parents by her side-"

"I'm here, and she knows that I'm here"

"If that was the case then we wouldn't be going through this right now, would we?", Michonne countered with a head tilt, "She wants more attention from both of us"

His eyes trailed away from her as he shook his head, "Well she's going to have to wait until after she's grounded"

Michonne threw her hands up in the air, "What good is that going to do? She should be punished for taking your card but you can't push her away in the process, that defeats the object-"

"I really don't need your advice on the this, Michonne", He snapped, squinting at her from across the room, "You did you part and you can go home now, I'll deal with her how I see fit, like I've always done, and you can take over when it's your turn"

She knew he wouldn't eventually say something offensive, which was why she didn't get too comfortable in his home. Snatching her bag off the cushion beside her, she stood up and stalked out the room without another word to him.

It was hard to believe that he was once the man she wished to spend the rest of her life with, as they could barely stand to be around each other without walking into an argument, so she always found it best to just walk away when the opportunity presented itself.

After saying goodbye to her daughter's, she headed back to her own home feeling drained after such a busy day. She used the drive to make a list in her mind about all the things she planned to do to help eliminate her daughter's problem, including speaking with her school teacher, since she doubted her ex-husband would tackle the issue anytime soon.

"Hey, Cat", She greeted her white Persian feline as she trudged in her apartment, hurling her heels off and dropping her purse on the couch, about to head to her bedroom when she heard her cell phone ringing, "Miss Wilder speaking?"

"...I'm sorry I'm looking for a Mrs Anthony?", She immediately recognised the voice of the Lieutenant she had met earlier.

"Oh, yes, it's… I'm Mrs Anthony, but I still use that name out of habit sometimes… it's Miss Wilder… legally"

"Oh, well, Miss Wilder-"

"Call me, Michonne"

"...Michonne, uh, your daughter left this little book in my office… I can't really read it since it's in some kind of language that I'm not familiar with-"

Michonne gasped, "Oh! That sounds like her diary"

"Her diary?"

"Yeah, she… she writes in her diary in Japanese so no one else can read it, specifically her sister"

There was a moment silence on the other end of the line, before he finally spoke again, "Miss- uh, Michonne? What did you do to make a child like that?"

A light chuckle burst from her lips, "She's a peculiar girl"

"She is, she left me amazed today… Uh, I can put this in the mail for you?"

"Yeah, that would be great, I can message you my address… I'll probably have to let her know that you have it so she doesn't panic"

"So you both got home alright then?"

"Yeah, I dropped her off at her dad's a while ago, she's safe and sound"

"That's great to hear… did everythan' go alright with your ex-husband?"

"No.", She answered honestly, taking a seat on the couch beside her cat, "But these things take work. A lot of work"

"I second that… Did you divorce recently? If you don't mind me asking?"

"Six months ago"

"Oh, still early days then"

"Yeah", She sighed, her eyes traveling across the patterns on the ceiling, "What about you?"

"Three years"

"So you've been there, done that?"

"I have. It gets easier over time, you learn how to cooperate with each other, and hopefully you be friends again"

"Would you say that's the case for you and your ex-wife?"

"...We're still working on that, but we don't glare at each other anymore so there's progress"

Michonne giggled, "I have yet to reach that stage"

"You'll get there", He rasped in an amused tone, "So, your daughter told me that you have a store?"

"I do. It's a lingerie store downtown, and I'm working on opening another"

"Oh? Well, that's great"

"Thanks, you should come in sometime…", Michonne froze in horror when she realised how that could be misinterpreted, "I meant, you could come in sometime, if you're in the area, so I can say thank you- I mean-"

The lieutenant chuckled heartily, "Well if you think you have somethan' that's flattering for a man like me-"

She covered her face with her hand as she chortled, "I'm so embarrassed"

"Don't be, that was an adorable mistake to make compared to some of the thangs I've done"

Michonne couldn't stop smiling, "Well, thank you"

"It's no problem at all… Uh, so, I'm… I'll make sure to post her diary-"

"Yeah, okay, I'll give you my address"

"Alright, great…"

"Well, thanks again-"

"No problem, you have a good night, Michonne"

"You too, by Rick"

Michonne hung up the phone, staring at the screen for a time as she thought of the conversation she had just had. Despite only speaking to him on two occasions, she could tell that there was a sincerity behind his words, and also his actions, as he could have easily ignored her daughter, but he didn't. He could have found her daughter's diary and thrown it aside, but he didn't. She wasn't sure if it was just common practice for him, as he was a man of the law after all, or if he had taken a liking to her family for reasons only known to him.

After careful consideration, she decided that he was just a man that took his job very seriously, since she couldn't see someone wanting to have to put up with her and her family.

The next day began as usual for her; she woke up, showered and dressed for work before having breakfast with her pet feline, then left her apartment.

Her store was one of her pride and joys, as she had sacrificed so much to get it up and running, and she faced a new challenge trying to open a second store, but she was excited all the same, though by the time she finally reached her place of work, she was reminded that it wouldn't all be fun and games.

"...The couches won't be ready until the fifth, and he said they probably won't arrive until the tenth…"

Michonne rubbed her temples with her Index fingers as she strolled through the storefront, where men were busy fixing the foundations of the large room, "And the counters, Rosita? Where are the counters?"

"...Still in Italy", Her assistant answered, giving her an apologetic look.

Michonne groaned, "That's just great, isn't it? They're still in Italy. Okay, fine, but the new line is here, right?"

"They arrived last night, and already in the storage room. The girls said everything was there"

"Oh, great... Great. Fine", She huffed, looking around the room aimlessly as she then muttered to herself, "I just had to have bespoke furniture…"

"The Calacatta tiles will being delivered today, and the electrician should be here soon to hook up the chandelier", Rosita read the information from her tablet as she walked around Michonne, "Beth said she ordered the bags and display mannequins-"

"Can you ask her to order a fruit basket, please? To go to the cop that helped Elodie yesterday", Michonne requested, biting her thumb nails as she zeroed in on one of the male workers that was doing nothing.

"Sure, a fruit basket", Rosita began tapping away at the device, "Name?"

"...Rick Grimes, I believe. He's a lieutenant at King's county police department"

"Uh huh…"

"Wait, maybe not a fruit basket?...Maybe a whine or something? To say thank you?"

Rosita glanced at her, "...Why not one of those hampers with the wines, chocolates and cheeses? A little bit of everything"

"Good idea, go with that"

"Got it", Rosita glanced at her again, "How is Ellie?"

"She was fine when I got her, and I'm hoping it stays that way", Her mind travelled to her ex-husband when she made the remark, hoping he didn't say or do anything to make their daughter retreat back into her shell, "Which reminds me, I need to call her school principal when I get to my office. Uh, okay, we're done here for today"

"Tara is on her way so she'll be here to keep an eye on things"

"Good", Michonne dug into her purse when she heard her cell phone ring, releasing a barely audible growl when she saw it was her ex-husband calling when she retrieved the device, "Yes?"

"Michonne", Dominic spoke sternly, "I am calling to let you know that I've decided to let Arat pick the girls up from school today, as part of Elodie's punishment"

She frowned at the news, "...How is that a punishment?"

"Well, because she won't be staying with you this weekend, she'll be home, doing her homework and chores"

"Excuse me?", Michonne's frown intensified, "You're forfeiting my weekend with them as punishment? You can't do that!"

"Elodie needs to realise that her actions have consequences, and I won't allow her to run off to have fun all weekend when she has-"

"You can't stop her from seeing her mother as a punishment, Dominic!", Michonne began to march out of the building, with Rosita hot on her tail, "You are interfering with my time with them and that's not fair! You can't decide to cut into our court as sighed schedule because you're trying to teach her a lesson-"

"It is just for this weekend, Michonne-"

"That is beside the point!"

"I've already informed them of the change of plan, I'm using this as an opportunity to teach her something-"

"You are teaching her that seeing her mother is a reward for good behaviour, and _not_ a necessity! I have just as much right to see them as you do, and I won't let you treat my role in their lives so dismissively! If you want to punish her for what she did, then fine, but this is not the way to do it!"

"I will let her call you this evening, and over the weekend, but that is it-"

"You are being an asshole, Dominic!"

"Goodbye, Michonne".

Dominic hung up the phone, leaving Michonne to seethe as she stood on the pavement in front of her car. She paced for a moment as she tried to figure out what to do next, but her mind was blank with rage, seeing red as she ground her teeth together, "That son of a bitch!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

"...So then he said that he bet I couldn't eat all twenty tater-tots in one go, but I did!"

Rick glanced in his son's direction, "This is what you're learning at school?"

"I could have easily eaten ten more", Carl smirked, appearing genuinely proud of himself.

"That's what you're learning in school", Rick muttered to himself in a sigh, "Hey, have you thought about picking up another language? Wouldn't that be cool?"

His son's lip curled in confusion, "...Why?"

"Because then you could communicate with more people, son"

"...Where?"

Rick bit his bottom lip as he realised he was demanding too much from his son, "Alright listen, as soon as you get home, you need to start on your homework, and when you're done with that, I want you to pick a book to read, not a comic book, one with paragraphs and such, and I'm going to start asking about it on our drives home from school"

Carl's face was a picture of horror, "What? Why?! Are you giving me 'dad' homework?"

"Don't think of it as homework, think of it as a new hobby"

His son's gave him an intense frown, "I already have hobbies"

"Like?"

"Well, my video games-"

"How about something that doesn't involve a screen?"

Carl's face fell with defeat, "...Why are you doing this to me, dad?"

"Because I need to encourage you to try new thangs, take up other interests… and because I love you, son"

"It doesn't feel like it", Carl deadpanned.

Laughter erupted from Rick, "You're too smart for your own good sometimes"

They arrived outside his home, and it was just as he stepped out of the vehicle that his phone rang, leading him to answer it as he followed his son inside the home.

"Hi, officer Rick", Elodie chimed down the line.

"Elodie? You okay?", He stopped dead in the doorway, squinting into the distance.

"Uh, no… not really…"

"What's wrong?"

"Um...My dad grounded me for running away"

"Did he now?", Rick had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, "Well If that's how your father sees fit-"

"He's not letting me see my mom this weekend. Me or my sister"

Rick's eyes brows almost disappeared into his hairline, "He's not letting you see your mother?"

"No", He could hear that the girl was upset, "I don't get why…"

"I'm struggling to understand why myself-"

 _"...o'clock bus to Macon, now boarding! Passengers are advised to..."_

Rick squinted again after catching part of an announcement on the other end of the line, "Elodie, where are you?"

"...The bus station…"

"In Atlanta?"

"...Kings County"

Rick eyes widened to full capacity, "You ran away again? Didn't I tell you- How did you even get here? You didn't take your dad's credit card-"

"No! I didn't, I used my lunch money and sold some of the snacks I had left at school"

"You did all that, but you couldn't call me?", Rick clicked his fingers to get Carl's attention just as the boy sat down on the couch. His son frowned at him, but proceeded to get up when his father waved for him to come along.

"...I knew you'd tell me not to…"

"Okay then why didn't you call your mom?"

"...Because then she could come get me again?"

Rick had developed a soft spot for the girl, but she was proving to be a little too self-sufficient, "Listen, wait by the help desk and don't move, alright? Tell whoever's working there your name and that you're waiting for me"

"Uh, okay, I will"

"Good".

Carl returned to the passenger seat of his truck, and eyes his father suspiciously as he started the vehicle, "Where are we going?"

"To the bus station", Rick breathed, peering out the rear view mirror as he backed out of his drive, "We need to pick up a little friend of mine"

Carl stared at him with a blank expression, "I'm confused, dad"

"Her name is Elodie, she's your age, and she is from Atlanta, but she likes Kings County very much."

Carl snorted, "...Why?"

"The sights, _obviously_ "

Rick had to wonder what was going through Elodie's father's mind to stop his daughter's from seeing their mother as a form of punishment. He couldn't even blame Elodie for leaving the city for the second time, but he wished that she wouldn't feel the need to run away at all. He also wondered if her mother knew about the change of plan, and what she planned to do about the man's unjust decision.

Once at the small bus station on the edge of town, Rick left Carl in the locked car so that he could fetch Elodie, and once again, it wasn't difficult to spot her in the almost busy station.

"Hi", She smiled, pulling her rucksack on her shoulder, "I still have some snacks left…"

"I wish you weren't getting better at this", He sighed, looking towards the woman sat behind the desk, "I got her from here! Thanks!"

"No problem! Bye Elodie! I'll remember what you said the next time I plan to buy a car!", The brunette waved to the girl enthusiastically from behind the glass window.

"Bye, Sherry!", Elodie chirped back, mimicking her action.

"Are you giving out sales advice now, too?", Rick smirked, peering down at the girl.

"Fuel efficient cars are better…"

He rested his hand on her shoulder as he led her through the exit, "I'm sure my son would like to hear all about it. I had to bring him with me to get you, his name's Carl"

"Oh, okay… Is he-"

"He knows nothing about art of any kind, unless cartoons count"

"Oh", Her shoulders fell by a small fraction.

"I'm sorry that you're stuck with us. Maybe you'll remember that before you try to get on a bus again"

Elodie began to giggle, but quickly stopped, "...Have you called my mom?"

"I will", He dreaded the thought of having to call the girl's mother a countless time in only forty-eight hours. He unlocked his car doors when they arrived back at his vehicle, and swiftly introduced the two children to each other, while he stood outside the driver door, "Elodie, Carl. Carl, this is Elodie"

"Hi", Elodie smiled, giving his son a little wave.

"Hi", Carl waved back, then turned to his father, "I'm hungry by the way"

Rick withheld a groan, "Have you eaten Elodie?"

"Chips… and chocolate… and more chips", She confessed resting her bag on the seat beside her.

"Alright, we'll go by the diner, let me just call your mother first", He retrieved his phone once again, and held it to his ear as he turned away from them.

"Hello? Lieutenant?", Michonne sounded rushed, and annoyed.

"Afternoon Michonne", Rick shifted his position, resting his free hand on his side, "Uh, you're not gonna' believe this, but I have Elodie with me, again-"

"What?!"

Rick tilted his head away from the phone for a second, surprised to learn that the woman's voice could be so shrill, "Yeah. I just got her from the station, she called me when she got here"

"How did she-"

"Lunch money. She used her lunch money"

"...Oh my god, can I-"

"Sure, hold on a second", Rick stepped back towards the back passenger door, then slipped his phone through the open window.

"Dad…", Carl called quietly, leading Rick to step closer to the driver's side door again to see him, "What's going on?"

Rick blew out a breath, "Just letting Elodie speak to her mom before we get somethan' to eat"

Carl narrowed his eyes at his father, speaking in an unconvinced tone, "Alright then"

"Well you'll get to see your mother for a while, so won't that be nice? We can talk to her about going into the city for your cousin's birthday"

Carl perked up to some degree, "Can Judith come?"

Rick hesitated, not sure how his ex-wife would feel about that, "We can ask? No harm in that, but she's still pretty young so..."

"Officer Rick?", Elodie held his phone out the window, finished with her brief discussion.

He retrieved his phone from her, taking note of how she slouched back in the seat, before speaking with her mother again, "Hello?"

"I'm so sorry about this, but thank you-"

"It's alright, it's what I'm here for", He lowered his voice as he turned away from his vehicle, "She told me what happened, is that true?"

"It… yeah, he called me this morning and told me. I've been talking with my attorney all day trying to figure out what to do because he can't do this"

"Have you heard from him since?"

"No. Nothing, he hasn't even called me to tell me that she's not at school and I know they would have called him-", He heard a door slam shut, "There doesn't seem to be much traffic so I shouldn't be long"

"Alright, I'm gonna' have to call him to let him know, but...I'll wait a while, give you a good head start"

"Thank you", She breathed.

"I'm gonna' take them to get somethan' to eat- I have my son with me and he's hungry and Elodie's been surviving of sugar-"

"I am so sorry, this is the second time you've had to feed her and I hope this isn't interfering with your time with your son"

"Nah, not at all. I'm glad to get him out the house, he would have been in front of the TV if we were home"

A light chuckle left Michonne, "Alright then"

"The diners not that far from the station-"

"I think I passed it on my way up last time. I'll just look it up on my phone"

"Yeah, alright. We'll just call me if you get lost, we'll be waiting there"

"Okay, bye"

Rick climbed into the driver's seat when was he was done with his phone call, just as Elodie asked in meek tone, "...Are you going to call my dad?"

He peered at her through the rear-view mirror, "I will have to"

"Okay"

Rick didn't miss the way his son eyed him suspiciously, obviously trying to understand the situation he was being thrust into, but he would have to wait to find out the details.

It was only a short, almost completely silent drive over to the dinner, and be could tell that the two pre-teens were unsure of what to say or do with themselves, so it was Rick's job to break the ice when they took a seat in a booth at the eatery.

"So Elodie, do you ever get a chance to play video games?"

Elodie looked up from the menu, her eyes darting back and forth between the father and son, "Video games? Uh… no? I'm a little uncoordinated..."

"You just need your thumbs…", Carl ejected flatly, "You don't really move anything else"

"I've seen that myself. He won't move for hours", Rick added regretfully, leading Elodie to release a little chuckle.

"Well, hey there! What are you guys doing here?", Lori approached them at their table with a wide smile, but froze for a second when she saw Elodie, "And who's this? Friend from school?"

"Elodie, this is Carl's mom, Lori", Rick introduced, "Lori this is a little friend of mine, Elodie"

"Nice to meet you ma'am", Elodie chimed.

"Nice to meet you too, sweetie", Lori smiled, though her eyes registered a slight degree of confusion, "I bet you guys are hungry-"

"I'm starving", Carl ejected hurriedly.

"I don't doubt that", Lori smirked, taking out a little notebook from her apron pocket, "You will have a cheeseburger with cheesy fries and a vanilla milkshake, your father will probably have a grilled cheese sandwich and a lemonade…"

"That's fine by me", Rick gave her a single nod as he sat the menu back on the stand.

"And what about you Elodie?"

"Can I have the same as Carl but with a glass of water? I think I've had enough sugar for today…", Elodie huffed.

"Of course you can", Lori smiled as she jotted down their orders, "I'll go get your drinks first, but give me second because it's getting busy in here"

"Alright, thanks", Rick breathed, resting on the table on his forearms.

Carl watched as his mother hurried away from the table, while Elodie fussed around in her rucksack beside her, before producing two books, "...I just happened to have this with me"

She slid one of the books towards Rick, and he flipped it around to read the title, "The history of art for beginners…"

Elodie wore an innocent smile, "It's a great book. I have another copy at my mom's so you can keep this one"

"I feel like you're trying to tell me somethan' here, Elodie"

The girl laughed heartily, while Carl leaned over to look at the cover of the book, before looking up at his father with an evil grin, "Think of it as a new hobby, dad"

"Look what we're gonna' take turns at reading", Rick responded, giving his son a knowing look, then turning back to the young girl, "Why thank you for this Elodie, though I find it hard to believe that you just happened to have this with you-"

"I bought it on the way to the station", She confessed, her shoulders falling.

"Ah, that makes more sense", Rick chortled, "Well hopefully the next time you see the both of us, we'll be able to have some sort of discussion about...Hans? Huns?-"

"Hans Memling! You remembered!", She cheered happily.

Carl frowned as he looked to his father who held up the book to him, "You'll find out soon enough"

Rick could barely contain his amusement at the contrasting personalities in front of him, but they both seemed to be getting along, and though Carl was often left dumbfounded by whatever Elodie said, he could tell his son was still interested.

Lori soon brought over their drinks, and their meals shortly after, and Rick took the opportunity to speak to his ex-wife by the counter while Carl and Elodie tucked into their meals, "She's had problems at home, but her mom's on her way down to get her"

"Poor thing", Lori sighed sympathetically, glancing over in the girl's direction, "I hope Carl's being nice"

"Yeah, he is…", Rick nodded, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly, "Oh, I was actually gonna' ask about taking Carl to Gerald's birthday party this weekend-"

"Oh yeah, I knew it was coming up soon, uh sure, would he just be up there for the day?"

"Yeah, just the day, I wouldn't have him back too late"

"Then sure, that's fine", Lori stuck her pen in her hair and grabbed her notepad off the counter when she noticed two more customers at the door.

Rick slowly inhaled through his nose, "He also wanted to ask about possibly bringing Judith"

Lori's eyes darted back to Rick, "Oh?"

"Yeah, I told him we'd ask but I know it isn't-"

"Uh, it would be a great idea but… I'd have to talk to-"

"I know", Rick glanced back towards Carl and Elodie.

"But I mean, it would be nice. I think she always wonders where her brothers going and why she can't go with him…"

"Yeah", Rick cleared his throat as he began to back away, "Well just let me know if it's possible keep and we'll take thangs from there"

Lori nodded as she tucked her long bangs behind her ear, "Got it"

Rick headed back over to the booth, where Elodie with a horrified expression as she watched Carl dipped his fries in his milkshake, "That doesn't look very nice…"

"Try it", Carl urged, tipping his glass towards her.

"But the fries have cheese on them…"

"It makes it taste even better"

Elodie looked to Rick for reassurance, but the man had tried his son's concoction before, "It tastes just how you would imagine it to"

The girl hesitated for a moment, holding a fry in her hand as she looked back at the milkshake Carl held out to her. She seemingly found the strength to go through with it, as she hurriedly dipped her fry in the glass, then popped it in her mouth, all while Carl watched with a grin, "Well?"

Elodie's face went through a range of emotions, before she finally began to smile, "It's actually not that bad?"

"See, dad?!"

"Nope", Rick dismissed easily as he picked up one half of his sandwich, "I don't see and I will never see"

"It really leaves a… salty, sweet and cheesy taste in your mouth", Elodie all but drained her cup of water.

Carl was pleased, "That's the best part"

Elodie frowned at him from behind the glass as she shook her head, eventually moving it from her lips to speak, "That's not really a fun best part? It's weird… kind of like eating mussels"

"What's mussels?", Carl probed, a chip hovering by his mouth.

"It's like a clam. You open it up and there's like a slimy piece of meat inside"

Carl glanced at his father with an unsure expression, "I don't think I've ever had that"

"You've never had that", Rick confirmed, though he didn't wish to interrupt the flow of their conversation.

"I hated it, and gave it to my mom", Elodie's eyes darted over to Rick, "She loves seafood. There's a restaurant near her apartment called Koi that we go to every Saturday dinner and it's her favourite…"

Rick didn't miss the not so subtle hint, "Oh? That's... nice"

"My dad hates seafood", Carl announced, raising his burger to his lips.

Elodie's shoulders fell, visibly disappointed to learn the news, "Really?"

"Yeah"

"I wouldn't say that I _hate_ it… I'm just not as big of a fan of it as you or your mother", Rick clarified, wishing the girls large eyes didn't reflect her dismay so clearly, "It wouldn't be my first choice… but I could probably stomach it every once and awhile"

Elodie immediately perked up, "That's still good then"

Carl's eyes bounced back and forth between them, giving them both the sceptical look he had given his father earlier. Rick wasn't going to divulge the fact that the girl wanted him to ask her mother on a date, but the idea did leave him to wonder how his son would react to the possibility.

"My mom's here…"

Rick tore himself away from his thoughts to respond to Elodie, "Huh? What's wrong?"

"My mom is here, that's her car", Elodie pointed towards the window, "The black one"

Rick followed the direction of her finger, and saw Michonne stepping out of the vehicle, her locks swinging freely behind her as she closed the door. Rick could almost feel himself reverting back to a teenage boy, his palms starting warm as he grew nervous, coming to the realisation that plucking up the courage to ask her out would be even harder than he initially thought.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

"Oh, you must be Elodie's mom, she's over there with my son and his father"

Michonne took a little too long to react as she realised she was speaking to the lieutenant's ex-wife. She quickly got over her initial shock, and followed the brunette's finger as she pointed across the diner, "Oh, I see them, thank you…"

"Lori", She held out her hand.

"Michonne, nice to meet you", Michonne shook it, "I imagine my daughters probably enjoying their company"

"I've caught them laughing at a book a few times… which I'm not complaining about"

Michonne narrowed her eyes as she cringed, "Sounds like she brought her travel library with her… she takes at least three books with her wherever she goes"

Lori's eyes widened as she looked towards their table, "Really? That's a smart girl you have, hopefully she rubs off on Carl. My son is a typical boy so you can imagine-"

"A lot of food and video game talk?"

"It's like that's all he can see in the world!", Lori sighed as she rested her hand on her hip, "One day I'm going to learn how to play one of those games he has, he'll lose interest when I ask him to play with me"

The two women cackled together, causing dinners nearby to look in their direction. Michonne straightened up, tipping her head towards the their children, "I better get over there"

"Yeah, sure, do you want anything? Coffee? Water?"

"Oh, can I have a water, please? And…", Michonne reached into her purse, "Can I pay the bill for whatever they had?"

Lori glanced towards their table again, "You can, but Rick won't like that at all"

Michonne smirked, "I imagine he won't but it's the least I can do"

"Alright, but if he asks then you twisted my arm"

"Got it"

Lori allowed her to discreetly pay the bill before she headed over to their table, where Michonne was surprised to discover a smaller, more boyish version of Rick sat beside him. She didn't know what she was expecting his son to look like, but the boy was adorable.

"Hi mom", Elodie smiled, getting up to give her a hug.

"What is with you? You're like a little stow away!", Michonne huffed, wrapping her arms around her shoulders, "I'm going to put a tracking device on you!"

Elodie chuckled, "Don't have a heart attack, please?"

"I think I will, maybe that will teach you not to run off like that", Michonne huffed, shaking her head with despair. Her eyes fell on Rick and his son, "Sorry about this…"

"It's fine, these two have been giving me quite the show", Rick tipped his head towards his son, "Carl, this is Elodie's mom, Michonne"

"Hey", Carl smiled, giving her a small wave.

"Nice to meet you Carl", Michonne smiled back, waiting for her daughter to sit down, before she did the same, "I just had a little talk with your mom, she was telling me that you like video games?"

"Yep", The boy nodded, ""It's my hobby"

"That's a cool hobby. I actually have a friend that designs video games, and he lets my older daughter Colette try them out"

Carl's eyes widened, "Really?!"

"Yeah. I can-"

"Yes!"

Michonne and Elodie both burst out laughing, almost identically, while Rick snickered at his son, "You don't even know what you're signing yourself up for"

"It doesn't matter", Carl shrugged, "It's about video games, you know I'll love it"

"I was going to say that I can send some your way?"

"Thanks!", Carl grinned, looking to his father, "And you said I need a different hobby"

"You do. You definitely do", Rick sighed, sitting back in his seat as looked at Michonne, "I hope you don't mind but, we ordered ice-cream"

"Oh no, that's fine. Don't mind me", She insisted, "I'm sure my lovely daughter will share with me"

"Of course", Elodie agreed happily, but she quickly began to frown, "Did you speak to dad?"

Michonne glanced in Rick's direction, and his wide-eyed expression told her that he hadn't made the call yet, but that didn't stop him from rising from his seat, "Excuse me while I go… make a…"

"Go ahead", Michonne couldn't hold back a light chuckle, watching him retrieve his phone as he walked away, then turning back to her daughter, "I haven't had a chance to speak to your father but I will"

"Okay", Elodie's shoulders fell by a small degree, leading Michonne to rub her back tenderly.

"Um, so what kind of ice cream did you guys order?"

"I got a Sunday, Carl got the Oreo cake"

Michonne gasped, "They have Oreo cake here?"

"It's the best. Ever", Carl insisted enthusiastically, "You can try some of mine"

"Oh, I shouldn't…"

"But she will", Elodie ejected playfully.

"Just a tiny piece…", Michonne grinned at the two pre-teens, making them both chuckle at her.

Michonne couldn't quite believe that she was back in Kings County retrieving her daughter for a second time, but she was happy to spend time with her once again, and she'd be even happier if she could have both her girls in her company again. The anger she felt towards her ex-husband was unbelievable, and she planned to drag him back to court for his latest decision, but for the time being, she was thankful for Rick's forgetfulness, as that meant she could at least see one of her daughter's.

Lori brought Elodie and Carl their deserts only moments before Rick returned to the table, and while the man was still virtually a stranger to her, she could tell by the way that he wore a slight frown that the conversation may have not have gone well.

"Everything alright?", She probed lightly, being mindful of Elodie's presence.

"Uh, yeah", He nodded, smoothing the lines in his forehead, "Just uh… had a lengthy conversation with a brick wall"

She bit back a groan, about to say something when her phone began to ring in her purse, leading her to groan anyway, muttering to herself, "Let me guess…"

Her prediction was right, as it was Dominic calling, and so she stepped away from the table to answer, and the man barely gave her a chance to answer when he began bellowing down the phone, "Bring her back, now!"

"Calm down! I just got here!", Michonne hissed, beginning to march out of the eatery.

"And I want her home within the hour! This is getting ridiculous! She's never behaved like this before and all of a sudden-"

"You know why she's acting like this! It's because of us! This is clearly a cry for help Dominic! She wanted for spend more time with me and she wants you to pay some attention to her-"

"Well this isn't the way to do it and I will not stand for this kind of behaviour! She is a smart girl and she can use her words, so there is no reason for her to behave like this-"

"Yes she's a smart girl but she's only eleven years old! Just because she does great academically, doesn't mean she'll bypass the emotionally immature stage of being a child! She still needs guidance and she still needs attention and like it or not, she needs her mother!"

"I want her home in the next hour Michonne, or else I will call the police", Dominic issued coldly.

"Call the police! They can talk to the lieutenant that has looked after her for most of the afternoon!"

"Oh he's incompetent! He should have brought Elodie back right away or put her back on the bus-"

"This is a man that has looked out for your daughter twice! Yes it's his job, but it's not his job to go out the way for her like he has! He could have just dropped her off at the station and left her for someone else to deal with but he has sat with her-"

"Oh give me a break! I don't want to hear it! Just bring her back now!"

Dominic cut the call, leaving Michonne to ball her fists in frustration, grinding her teeth together as she growled. She didn't think she could be any angrier at the man, but he always did his best to prove her wrong.

Once she managed to force a smile on her face, Michonne stalked back into the diner, trying to figure out what the best step would be to take. She could see that Elodie was enjoying the new company, and she didn't want to tear her from that, just to put her back in the same situation she was in before. Michonne was used to doing things by the book, rarely ever putting a foot wrong, but it seemed that her ex-husband was willing to break the rules to suit him, and she pondered whether she should do the same.

"I saved you the chocolate part, mom", Elodie held out the spoon to her as she took a seat beside her.

"Thank you sweetie", Michonne chimed, her mind racing as she was struck with an idea, "Uh, Rick? Is there a hotel or something nearby?"

The man took a moment to answer, "Um, yeah? A motel at the end of the street, actually"

"Oh that's great, I think we'll have to check in there for the night"

Elodie's eyes widened, "Really? How come?"

Michonne pretended to sigh as she frowned, "I think something's up with the car, it's been making a weird sound. Need to get it checked out"

Rick's eyes narrowed as he looked at her, obviously seeing through her lie, but still he said, "Oh? I have a friend that can look at it? What kind of sound is it making?"

"Just a weird _humming_ noise…"

He slowly nodded as he dropped his gaze, "I can give him call, he's really good at fixing stuff...like humming..."

"Oh great, I'd appreciate that"

Elodie was too excited to question the change of plan further, "This is going to be fun"

"It is, isn't it?", Michonne smiled down at her, feeling only a little guilty about her lie, "So what we're you guys talking about? I heard you had one of your many books out-"

"I was telling them about the museum… I think we should all go", Elodie suggested, her eyes darted over to Rick, "Wouldn't that be nice?"

His eyebrows sprung up and he looked down at his son curiously, "Uh, yeah, how does that sound?"

"Cool", Carl shrugged, too busy devouring his desert, "I don't mind"

Rick looked to Michonne, "If you're not busy or anythan'?"

"That would be great", She smiled, "I just need to check my diary and we can set up a date"

Elodie's eyes widened, "Great!"

Michonne peered at her daughter from the corner of her eye, "Yeah, great"

The four of them continued their light chatter until Elodie and Carl finished their desserts, and Michonne stepped outside with the pre-teens while Rick went and attempted to pay the bill.

"...I can teach you to play if you help me with my history homework?", Carl offered Elodie with an evil grin.

The girl's eyes travelled around as she thought about it, "Is it an essay?"

"Yeah"

"...Teach me to play and get past the first five levels, and I'll make sure you get a B on your essay"

Carl seemed to consider her proposal, pursing his lips and looking around aimlessly, before finally nodding, "Fine. Deal"

Michonne gave them an impressed snort, "Bunch of cheaters"

"Helpers", Carl corrected happily, looking past her when he saw his father, "Hey dad, I found someone to help me with my history essay"

Rick's gaze fell on Elodie as he approached them, "Don't give him too much help"

"Got it", Elodie gave him a single nod of her head.

"Perfect", Rick sighed, looking back at his son, "Say goodnight and go wait in the car for me"

"Goodnight", Carl repeated, holding out his hand for his father's car keys.

"Nice meeting you Carl", Michonne gave him a little wave before turning to her daughter, "Can you do the same?"

"Yep. Thanks again officer Rick, bye Carl, I'll call you", Elodie waved like her mother had.

"Alright"

Michonne waited until both kids were no longer in earshot to speak, about to thank Rick for a countless time but he spoke first, "Your car's fine, isn't it?"

She gave him a little nod, "Perfect"

Rick rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, "My friend can write an invoice, said he found somethan' or the other…"

"Really? That would be great, and let him know that I'll pay him-"

"Nah, don't worry about it"

"Of course I will, I'm basically asking him to lie for me-"

"It'll probably cost as much as that meal we just had", He tilted his head back towards the diner, "Since you paid for everythan'?"

"I did", She cringed, "I beat you to it… sorry"

He chuckled as he sat his hands at his sides, "I can't have that at all. I know my son can eat his weight in fries-"

"And you've already fed my child so it's nothing, honestly. We're even now"

He dropped his gaze for a brief moment, "Uh… Can I take you out sometime? Without one of our offspring present?"

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise as she giggled, "Oh, Um… really? You want to do that?"

"Yeah, I mean, if you'd let me?"

Her smile shrunk as she looked away from him, "I'm flattered, really I am, but I've… you've seen that things aren't really smooth sailing for me right now? With one daughter running away with any chance she gets, and the other one… she secretly hates me and my ex-husband makes it no secret that he does hate me- I don't think any of this… sounds appealing?"

Rick shifted from one foot to the other as he gazed at her, "...My wife cheated on me and had a baby with someone else. A friend of mine, to be exact"

Michonne's eyes widened with shock.

"She told me and… I tried to move past it, I looked after her and I cared for her like she was mine, but when thangs fell apart between me and her mother, I was forced to accept that she wasn't mine…", He bit his bottom lip as he glanced around the parking lot, "None of that really sounds appealing either when I say it out loud…"

She shook her head, "It's… not that bad. I forgot to mention that my mom's a nut"

"So is mine", He added, wearing a serious expression, "And so is my dad"

"My dad has gambling problem"

"Mine has a _glass_ eye"

There was a moment of silence before they both burst out laughing, leading Michonne to cover her face with her hand, "This shouldn't have turned into a competition"

"But it did", Rick sighed, "So, how about it? I think we both have an equal amount of problems to bring to the table?"

She hid her bashful smile as she tucked a stray lock behind her ear, "I guess you can take me out then"

"That's great then…I heard you really like that place… 'Koi'?"

She began to frown at him, "How did you- oh, wait, I know"

"Yeah", He chortled, "Elodie"

"Elodie…", She huffed, glancing back towards her car, "We can go there, if you don't mind?"

"Yeah I don't mind at all", He smiled, his eyes appearing to glow in the sunset, "I'll call you and we can work somethan' out around the other plans the kids made"

"Good idea… well thanks again, and I hope, and I mean I really hope, this is the last time you see us under these circumstances", She began to back away from him, "You're going to get a thank you basket from me soon-"

"You don't have to do that!", He frowned at her.

"I already did, it's on its way!", She grinned, giving him a little flutter of her fingers, "Bye officer Rick!"

"Bye", He continued to watch her, even when she turned around.

Michonne was secretly delighted to have caught the attention of Rick, even though she was sure the stress that she was experiencing with her ex-husband was enough to drive anyone away. Though, learning that he had suffered with his own family was an eye opening moment, one that couldn't easily shake from her mind.

"Where are you?! I told you an hour!", Dominic boomed as soon as he answered Michonne's call.

She closed the motel room door, leaving Elodie to get comfortable on the bed, "My car broke down, we're staying at a motel"

"What?! What kind of- are you being serious right now?"

"Yes, Dominic-"

"Take a bus back! Or a cab-"

"I would still need to come back to get my car?"

"I don't care, you are kidnapping my daughter-"

"No, you are withholding my daughters from me and Andrea has already filed the papers to get our schedule revised and to let the judge know that you tried to keep them from me as punishment!"

"Go ahead! It's your fault she's acting like this!"

"Oh of course it is, it couldn't be your fault since you're too busy running around with your girlfriend to look after them!", Michonne hissed, stepping into the parking lot.

"I am the one that raised them-"

"While I was out working! No matter what I did, or what job I held down, it was me that was supporting all of us, and it's because I was working that you were able to stay home for over a decade! So don't make me feel guilty for that because we both had our roles!"

Dominic huffed and puffed down the line, "You had better have her back tomorrow morning or I swear, I will call the police and I will have you arrested-"

"Tomorrow's Saturday, idiot! My time to have with them so you can't call the police because you'd be highlighting the fact that you are going against a court order! So I will be by tomorrow to pick up Colette and if you don't send her out to me then I will be the one calling the police and making a report, got it?", Michonne didn't give him a chance to reply as she hung up the phone, feeling slightly better about the way the conversation ended second time around. She took a few long calming breaths before heading back into the motel room, where Elodie was laying on her stomach in front of the TV. She smiled at her daughter, "Finding anything good?"

"Yeah, Antiques Roadshow!", Elodie chimed excitedly.

Michonne's smile tightened, "Oh, _great_!".


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

"I can't see it?"

Rick peered down at Judith, who was balancing on her toes as she tried to look over the ledge, her big brown eyes pleading for help. She wore a yellow sun dress with white polka dots and white shoes, like a little ray of sunshine. Rick titled his head at her as he asked, "Would you like some help?"

"Yes please", She replied softly.

If Rick had to choose who she favoured more, then it would have to be Shane, since he couldn't see any trace of Lori in the girl's soft features. Her hair was a few shades away from a dirty blonde, her eyebrows dark and often knitted together furiously when she struggled with a task, much like her father would. Rick knew that she would have his mannerisms, but to see her react so similarly to Shane left him feeling conflicted, but he still smiled at her as he took her by her middle, "Alright, let's get you up"

He lifted her to his hip so she could look through the thick glass at the penguins, and she immediately gasped, "Look!"

"You see them? Those are penguins", He informed, pointing at the nearest bird to the glass, "You think they walk funny?"

Judith giggled as she nodded her head in agreement, "Carl walks like that"

A hearty chuckle left Rick, "Does he now? Oh I bet he'd be pleased to hear that"

The little girl's eyes trailed all over the enclosure with wonder, "I wanna' go in…"

"I think it will be too cold for you in there", He sighed, peering through the glass as well, "And I might get you mixed up with one of them, and your mommy won't be happy if I brought home a penguin instead of you"

Judith's nose wrinkled as she smiled at him, "I don't look like one of them!"

"I think you do?", He teased, "You have a little beak and some fur…"

"I'm not furry!... My _daddy's_ furry!"

Rick continued to grin, even at the mention of Shane. He couldn't show her the hate he harboured for her father, "Is that right?"

"Yep!"

"There you are", Jeffrey called, huffing with relief as he stopped a few feet from Rick, "I thought you were meant to be helping with the kids?"

Rick didn't remember agreeing to do such a thing, but he did remember something else, "Do you remember when you broke my favourite tractor?"

Jeffrey's face fell blank, "Excuse me?"

He carried Judith on his hip as he began to walk, "My favourite tractor? It was green, and it had a gold grill on the front. I got it for Christmas that year that dad started working at the factory"

His brother couldn't appear anymore confused if he tried, "What the hell- what are you talking about?"

"My green tractor", Rick repeated slowly, stopping directly in front of Jeffrey, "You broke it. I was seven and you were ten, you were old enough to know better"

Jeffrey's mouth hung open in astonishment, "I was ten? That was thirty years ago? What the _hell_ do you want from me now?"

"An apology", Rick insisted seriously, adjusting Judith on his hip, "You never apologised"

His brother threw his hands up in the air, "I don't even know what you're talking about! Why are you even bringing this up?"

"Because I almost ran away from home because of you… And I met a runaway who also had problems at home-"

"We did not have any problems at home", Jeffrey ejected dryly.

"Well at the time I felt as though we did, and so when I was talking to her about what I did, I remembered what you did and I feel as though you owe me an apology", Rick began to walk again and Jeffrey did the same, still wearing a look of disbelief.

"You need to see a psychologist or somethan' because that was three decades ago-"

"Yeah yeah, I still want my apology"

The two brothers walked into the next room of the aquarium where the rest of the party were looking around excitedly at the displays. Carl was stood with his cousin Gerald and another boy, all three peering at a screen in front of them with a small crowd behind doing the same. Judith tapped his shoulder with a pudgy hand, then pointed towards her big brother, "There's Carl"

"There he is", Rick found the girl's obsession with Carl unbelievably sweet; she was always so excited to see him and play with him, and Rick thought it was a shame that he didn't get to see the two of them interact more. He wished that he got a chance to interact with her more too, "You wanna' go over there?"

Judith nodded, her light brown curls bouncing around her face, so Rick sat her down on the ground and watched her bolt over to Carl, while Jeffrey took the chance to nudge him, "It was nice of Lori to let her come"

"Yeah", Rick breathed, his eyes on the children, "It was... So why did you need my help? They're all fine"

"I can't stand being in charge of someone else's kid by myself. It makes me nervous", Jeffrey confessed, massaging the back of his neck with his hand, "Just stay close"

Rick snickered at his brother as he retrieved his vibrating phone from the back pocket of his jeans, but his smile swiftly vanished when he saw who was calling, "Michonne? Is everythan' alright?"

"Hey, Officer Rick", The girl chirped happily, "Its Elodie, and everything's fine, I'm not in Kings County"

"Thank god because neither am I", He sighed with relief.

"I know, Carl told me you'd be at the aquarium today?"

"Yeah, we're actually there now."

"Oh great, have you taken any of the quizzes, yet? I've got the fastest time answering them on every single computer there"

"I can believe that you have and no, sadly I haven't taken any yet...I don't wanna' beat your high score"

"That's funny", The girl laughed with a little too much enthusiasm, "Well I wanted to tell you that there's an exhibition at the museum I was telling you about, it starts next week...you might like it? About cop cars from the last century?"

It was Rick's turn to laugh, "Ah, I get it. Because I'm a cop?"

"Because you're a cop."

"That sounds great Elodie but have you checked with your mom first?"

"I did, she said I could call you while she's getting Colette some new shoes"

Ricks eyes narrowed, "That's your sister, right?"

"Yep! You have to meet her, too…"

"Yeah I'd love to, just don't bring her to town on one of your little adventures"

"I promise to never leave the city without informing an adult first", Elodie announced proudly.

Ricks eyes remained narrowed, "That doesn't sound right-"

"Oh I have to go, but I'll tell my mom you said yes", She exclaimed happily, "Bye Officer Rick!"

"Alright, bye Elodie", Rick chuckled dryly, shaking his head with despair as he hung up the phone, "I should have seen that coming"

He didn't realise Jeffrey had been listening in on his conversation until he remarked, "Who was that?"

"Uh, just a little friend of mine", Rick huffed, looking for Carl and Judith in the room, "She's the one that ran away from home a while ago, she's been having problems with her dad… her parents got divorced so she was having a tough time with that… but she's a sweet girl. Very smart, too….Probably too smart for her own good, but… she's still young. Still trying to figure thangs out"

Jeffrey slowly nodded as he too scanned across the room, "You just can't help being a father, can you? Not just to Carl…"

It was as if on cue that Rick's gaze fell on the children, specifically Judith, and he felt tightness in his chest, "Yeah, I guess I can't"

"...Well at least Lori's starting to let you take her out. That's somethan'...", Jeffrey insisted, nudging him once again, "And I can see that she's still pretty comfortable with you so it ain't all bad"

"Yeah, you're right", Rick nodded in agreement, "It ain't all bad…"

"...What does she call you?"

He glanced at Jeffrey as he replied, "Just 'Carl's daddy'..."

"Ah, well that's-"

"Hey, Dad! Come see this!", Carl called from across the room, waving his hand in the air to get his father's attention. Rick gave his brother a parting look as he began to step towards his son, secretly glad to leave the topic of Judith alone for the time being.

But his brothers' words had a lasting effect on Rick, and he inevitably found himself thinking about the role he was playing in Judith's life, and the role he could possibly play in Elodie's.

There wasn't much he could do regarding Judith, other than hope that he, Lori and Shane could get along for the sake of the children, though he still couldn't stand to be in Shane's company, and he was sure the feeling was mutual.

The situation was quite similar with Elodie, as he also knew he couldn't stand her father either, even though he had yet to meet the other man, but he felt as if he was helping to fill some sort of need in the eleven year old. A need to have a father figure that she got along with, and a need for her mother to have someone in her life, too.

Luckily for Rick, Michonne was simply stunning in every sense of the word, so he would have been drawn to her even without her daughter's thoughtful prompts. He could relate to Michonne, and he understood the plight she faced with her ex-husband, so naturally he wanted to offer some level of support to her and her family. Whether it was a good idea for him to get involved with her romantically under the very sensitive circumstances, he wasn't sure, but he was willing to take the risk, and it seemed she was too.

"What's all this? Who's it from? Do we all get one?"

Ricks eyes combed up and down the sizeable hamper that sat on his desk at the police department. The work week had started off rather boringly for him until that fateful morning when he received his gift from Michonne, and while it wasn't something he would personally purchase for himself since he wasn't the type of man that sought out fine wines, chocolates and cheeses, he loved it all the same.

"Oh, is that Belgium chocolate? I haven't had that for a while-"

He smacked the deputy's hand away from the basket, "Don't."

Leon rubbed the affected area with a look of dismay written all over his face, "Well, who's it from?"

"A friend- Hold on a second, where's that report I asked you for? I need to fax it over to the DA's office", Rick straightened up as he turned to face the deputy, swiftly changing the course of the conversation, "Today"

Leon's eyes widened before he spun on his heel and headed towards the door, "I… I put it down somewhere…"

Once Rick was left alone in his office, he took the opportunity to make a quick call to Michonne when he was seated at his desk, and she swiftly answered the phone, "Did you get it?"

"I did", Rick smiled, leaning back in his leather chair, "Thank you"

"Don't mention it. I wasn't sure what kind of wine you liked or if you even drank wine at all but-"

"Hey it's fine- I mean it's great. I'm sure Carl will be more than happy to help me eat the chocolate... and the cheese"

She giggled with delight, "I think the chocolate might have alcohol in them so you should probably check that out before you give it to him… you don't want him stumbling all over the place…"

A short of laughter escaped Rick, "Yeah, uh, no I don't want that, no matter how funny it would be"

"It would be hilarious", She snickered, "So Elodie told me that you could make it next weekend? I'm sorry if she put you on the spot but she was talking about the museum and Colette was begging me for new shoes for her basketball game and I just needed up agreeing to everything"

"Oh no, it's fine, I should have known she wouldn't miss an opportunity to teach Carl and I somethan'... even if it's about cop cars"

"Be prepared, she usually has an itinerary that she likes to keep to"

"Oh?... Does she have a little clipboard, too?"

"No, sadly she doesn't"

"Well I think it's time we got her one", Rick's eyes widened in horror, "I mean, I could get her- Not we as in 'we'... Like we're a-"

He stomach was overcome with a fluttering sensation when she giggled again, "I think that's a great idea. She'd love that"

Thankfully Rick was alone, so no one was around to witness the lieutenant blush, "So uh, if you don't mind me asking, how did everythan' go with your ex-husband? And did Daryl give you that invoice?"

Rick was sure he heard her slowly inhale before she replied, "I did get an invoice from Daryl, and with my ex-husband… well, do you want the long answer or the short answer?"

"Whichever you feel comfortable with telling me?"

"Well after a few more angry phone calls he finally let me take Colette, so I got my girls for the weekend after all but we've got our lawyers involved again…", She huffed, "So we have a few things to iron out. Again. But apparently it was his one year anniversary with his girlfriend last week and he proposed so here's to hoping he'll be too wrapped up with that to fight me with this"

Rick's brows shot up with surprise, "One year?... But didn't you say you divorced six months ago?"

"Yeah, we did", She confirmed in a bittersweet tone.

"Oh…", Was all he could respond when he realised that her ex-husband may have been seeing his girlfriend during their marriage, "Got it… well if you need any help with that then just let me know, I can verify everythan' that's happened as far as Elodie coming out here… twice"

"Thank you, but…", Her tone softened, "I'd hate to drag you any further into this mess, Rick. You've already done so much and I'm sure you've noticed that Elodie's pretty much imprinted herself on you"

"It's fine, I don't mind at all. It's what I'm here for so she can 'imprint' all she wants", He cleared his throat as he sat up straight, "...So um, Saturday?"

"Yeah, if that's good for you? Let's say around one? I can send you a message with the directions and we can get something to eat after"

"As long as you agree to let me pay this time, then we have a deal"

"...I really don't want to have to fight you for the right to pay the bill, Rick"

Rick cursed to himself for blushing a second time at the thought of Michonne possibly touching him, even if it was in an attempt to wrestle the bill from his clutches. He chuckled to hide his embarrassment, "I hope it won't have to come to that either, which is why I'd like to put

it on the record that's it's my treat"

"Alright, we'll see about that", She sniggered, "Well, I'm sure you have lots to do and I've got to get back to the storefront so we'll talk before the weekend… Bye, Lieutenant"

"Yeah, Bye Michonne".


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

"Mom, you know I don't complain much- I'm your laid back daughter. The one that just goes with the flow. The one that will let everyone else choose the movie to watch. The one that-"

"It's only an hour Colette", Michonne informed dryly as she peered at her older daughter via the rear view mirror, "And besides, I thought you were into cars?"

"Race cars, mom. Not cop cars", Colette corrected, "Unless I can drive them?"

"Oh you wish", Michonne smirked as she looked back out the windshield, "How's that itinerary going, Elodie?"

Her younger daughter looked up from her homemade handouts, "Great. I've personalised them with little notes according to what I think everyone will be interested in"

"Here we go", Colette huffed as she dropped her head back against the seat, "What have you got for me?"

"They actually have a section dedicated to high security vehicles", Elodie explained, "Mostly used to chauffeur celebrities, politicians-"

"Are the cars huge?"

"Some are. They have a mock-up of something called The Beast"

Colette sat up with an evil grin, "Really?... I take back everything I said mom"

"Of course you do", Michonne rolled her eyes playfully, "All it takes is armoury to make your day"

"For you mom…", Elodie continued, flicking through her papers in her folder, "I made a list of the most stylish vehicles to look out for, including the materials and linings used"

"Ah, you know me so well", Michonne cackled as she pulled into the museum parking lot, "And Carl?"

"Anything with cool gadgets inside", Elodie replied flatly, "And I gave Officer Rick a quiz to do"

Michonne sniggered, "How comes he got the quiz this time?"

"Because he should know a lot of this stuff already since he is a lieutenant", Elodie snapped her folder shut and held it to her chest, "I only gave him twenty questions"

"But you gave me, your sister, thirty questions on the last quiz", Colette frowned at her sister from the back seat, "You should warn him that you're not generous with grades either-"

"Spelling and grammar count, too! That's why I gave you a C on that Art pop quiz- you could have gotten a B if you just applied yourself! Right mom?"

Michonne was also secretly glad that she wasn't the one given a quiz to do this time around, "She's right, honey. Now come on, I think I saw them waiting at the front"

She was genuinely looking forward to meeting up with Rick and his son for the day. It was something very different to what she usually did with her daughter's, and she didn't think Elodie would have forgiven her if she didn't stick to their arrangement.

It was also an excuse for Michonne to get to know Rick a little more before their date, which was another thing she was looking forward, too.

"I can't believe you're wearing that dress, mom", Colette chuckled as she looked her mother from head to toe, "We're just going to the museum!"

"You don't like it?", Michonne looked down at the white, form fitting, spaghetti strap dress she wore that stopped at her knee, "Elodie picked it out for me"

"You look great- it's just you don't look like you're going to a museum… more like a date or something and were just tagging along", Colette's eyes widened with even more amusement, "Should I freak him out and call him dad?"

"My God", Michonne groaned as she pushed both of her daughters's to make them walk faster, "Your sense of humour leaves me speechless sometimes"

"Don't ruin this for me, Colette!", Elodie hissed as she narrowed her eyes at her sister, "Be nice!"

"I am nice", The teen insisted, tugging her sweat shirt lower, "And I'm also funny"

Rick and Carl were stood by the entrance of the museum wearing friendly smiles as the approached, and Michonne did her best to ignore the small pang of nerves the tickled her stomach, "Hey! Did you find the place alright?"

"Yeah, we did actually", Rick replied warmly, his blue eyes appearing to glow from the sun, "Nice to see you again Elodie, and you must be-"

"Colette", The teen responded, "The funny one"

"Self-proclaimed", Elodie muttered from the other side of Michonne.

Both Rick and his son looked highly amused, while Michonne had to fight the urge to side eye both her daughter's, "So let's get this tour started-"

"Wait! Itineraries first!", Elodie popped her folder back open and began removing sheets, "This one's for Carl…"

Carl's dark brows furrowed as he took the sheet of paper, "What is-"

"Just take it", Colette whispered, "And don't bother trying to lose It because she has copies"

"Here's your one, mom", Elodie gave her mother a sheet, and Michonne graciously accepted, while Colette huffed when she received hers, "And last but not least, Officer Rick"

"Why, thank you", Rick took the thin booklet from her and began flipping through the pages, "...Is this-"

"A quiz!", Elodie beamed at the man, "I remember that you said that you've been on the police force for fifteen years now, so I've done some research and I've found every make and model that you've probably had to encounter along the way and given you questions to answer about them- but you'll be able to find all the information inside"

Rick blinked at Elodie, who was practically bouncing on the spot, "Wow, a whole quiz just for me, huh?"

Carl snickered beside him, "That's great"

"It is, isn't it? Good thang I have Carl here to help me", Rick smirked as he nudged the boy.

His son's face fell as his smile vanished, "Why do you do this to me, dad?"

"Alright! Let's get this show on the road", Michonne gave her daughter's a gentle push forward to encourage them to walk once again. Elodie all but skipped into the museum, while Colette and Carl lagged behind her with not even a fraction of her enthusiasm.

"You still haven't told me what you did to make a child like that?", Rick remarked quietly as walked beside Michonne.

"I honestly don't know", She shrugged, "I'm starting to think that she formed herself in the womb"

He smiled at her joke as he held the door open for her, "She probably picked out her own DNA"

Michonne giggled, "It's highly possible"

"Here's your pen, Officer Rick", Elodie held out on her favourite fluffy end pens, "This first exhibit has a lot of information but try not to cheat!"

Rick released a hearty chuckle as took the pen from her, "Are you going to grade me on this too?"

"She is", Michonne answered for her daughter, "And I learned today that spelling and grammar do count"

His eyebrows sprung up in shock, "Oh… well alright, I'll do my best"

Michonne couldn't remember the last time her daughter looked so pleased, so she waited until the girl bolted away before whispering to Rick, "You know you don't have to-"

"Hold on, I think I know the answers to some of these", Rick admitted as he peered down at a page, "This should be pretty easy actually"

Michonne lifted her hands up in defeat, "Never mind then"

Elodie led them to the first exhibit in a large room, where a few cars were placed in the centre with viewers sprinkled around. Michonne loved the fact that the girl put so much effort into her handouts, so she made sure to read the information provided as they looked around. She wasn't expecting Rick to do the same but he was immersed in his quiz.

"Ah, I almost fell for this- it's a trick question", He smirked, used the pen to highlight the sentence as he showed Michonne.

She tried to suppress her laughter as she peaked at the page, "Oh?"

"She's put a few of those in here, but it's all just fancy wording", He explained proudly, his eyes warm with delight. It was endearing to Michonne to see him behave this way; he seemed genuinely interested in the task her daughter had set for him, and not to mention that she thought he looked delicious in the denim shirt he wore, which complimented his peppered beard. She forced herself to look away from him just as he spoke again, "I'm almost done and we're not even halfway yet. Is there a time limit? She should have a time limit-"

"How about we don't give her any more ideas?", Michonne issued in a dry tone as she tucked one of her dreads behind her ear, "We struggle enough as it is."

Rick chortled quietly as he looked at her, "It takes me back to high school… I was the only kid that didn't mind when we had a test coming up"

"Really? Well that's not fair then, you have an advantage", She teased, "I hated them. The pressure always got to me"

"I take it you haven't told Elodie that?"

"I indulge her", She confessed, keeping an eye on the three kids and as looked around, "We both do- Colette and I"

Rick wore a slight frown as he looked from the kids to Michonne, "I don't think that's a bad thang. It's sweet, you both care about her… and you probably worry about her, I can see why… kids like that don't always relate to other kids their age but look at those three, they're having a blast over there"

Carl and Colette were pulling strange faces beside an older man that had fallen asleep on a bench across the hall, while Elodie used Colette's phone to take a picture of the three of them. Michonne began to smile, but stopped when she realised what it was they were doing, "We should probably stop them"

Ricks own smile vanished after a moment, "Yeah, maybe you're right"

Seeing the trio get along with ease was heart-warming for Michonne, as it meant that they could all meet up again in the future, which would definitely please Elodie more than anyone else.

They continued their tour of the museum, occasionally pausing to admire the vehicles on display while receiving a running commentary provided by Elodie. Carl and Colette would listen, then bombarded the girl with questions about any armoury or gadgets, which was to be expected. Rick appeared equally interested once he finally completed his quiz. It was turning out to be an even better day than Michonne had thought, and for the first time in a long time she could see herself including others into her family.

Her divorce from Dominic had left a terrible taste in her mouth, and she didn't think she could see herself involved with anyone else for some time, but something about Rick made her think otherwise. They hadn't even had their first date yet but the thought of getting to know him more still excited her all the same. And he hadn't run a mile after having to deal with her family's problems, which in her eyes was a bonus.

"My sister would like this", Carl declared, picking up a toy car from the shelf in the gift store, "She plays with all my old race cars"

"Sounds like she has good taste", Michonne smirked as she looked at the small, metal vehicle in his hands, "I'm sure she'll love it. How old is she?"

"She's four. Her name's Judith. I picked her name"

"Really? Well aren't you a great big brother", Michonne gave him a little nudge, "All my big brother ever gave me was a headache"

Carl sniggered, "You have a big brother too?"

"Yeah. He doesn't live around here though, he travels"

"Really? That's cool"

"It is cool, but not as cool as the brother who bring his little sister cool gifts"

"Thanks… Hey, dad!", Carl held the car up as he looked for his father, who was being given an impromptu fashion show by Colette as she modelled a police hat, "For Judith?"

Rick peered over at his son and nodded, "Yeah, sure."

"Mom, can I get this?", Elodie appeared beside her mother, holding up a picture of a car on a canvas, "I want to put it up in my bedroom…"

Michonne began to reach into her bag as she felt her phone vibrating, "Yeah, how much?"

"It's…", Elodie looked around the picture for a price tag, and when she found it her eyes nearly bulged out of her head, "Never mind…"

Michonne answered her phone while her daughter scurried away, "Hello, Mrs Wilder speaking?"

"Michonne? It's Arat", The woman greeted a little hurriedly, "I'm at the hospital- Dominic had a heart attack"

"What?", Michonne spun away from everyone as she lowered her voice, "A heart attack?"

"Yeah, the doctor said it was a mild one… he's okay, I mean I guess- he woke up and he was talking… it's just, I don't know what to do? He's going to be here for a couple days and he wants me here but the girls-"

"Calm down", Michonne issued firmly as she stepped out the store, "What happened?"

"Well, we were… it was in the morning and we… we were-"

"I got it", She stopped the younger woman before she could go into any more detail, "You got him to the hospital?"

"Yeah, the ambulance came, they've given him something- I don't know what, he's stable and the doctor said it's not life threatening or anything, he'll be fine but they have to monitor him and he said he'll be here for a little while-"

"Then I will keep my daughter's until further notice, you just worry about Dominic. If he has a problem with that then tell him to wait until he's all better to yell at someone. I'm out with them now but I will talk to them about it and then we'll make arrangements for them to come by and see him, okay?"

Arat blew out a breath, "Yeah… okay. Fine. We can do that, that works"

"Alright. Keep me posted. Bye.", Michonne hung up the call and huffed, staring ahead of her as she absorbed the weight of the news she was just given. She was shocked that a relatively healthy man could suffer such trauma in those circumstances, but also relieved that he survived. Her daughter's would have been crushed otherwise.

"Everythan' alright?", Rick's voice made her jump, and he quickly held a hand up to stop her, "Sorry"

"No, its fine…", She peered into the store behind him as she looked for Colette and Elodie, "Their dad had a heart attack"

Ricks eyebrows shot up, "A heart attack?"

"Yeah, he's in the hospital. His fiancé said it was a mild one but he's going to be in the hospital for a while", She raked her fingers through her locks, combing them over to one side, "So they're staying with me"

"Well if you have to leave then its fine", He offered sincerely, tipping his head to catch her gaze with his.

Michonne slowly inhaled, "Yeah"

"...Are you alright?", He reached out and placed his hand on her forearm, causing her stomach to erupt with a fluttering sensation that warmed her whole body.

She forced herself to concentrate on responding with a coherent sentence, "Yeah, I'm fine, just shocked I guess"

He began to stroke her skin with slow, tender movements, "I understand. Well you can give me a call later if you'd like…"

Usually Michonne was sensible when it came to timing. She knew there was a certain time to discuss certain things or behave a certain way when in the presence of others, especially when out in public. Having just learned that her ex-husband had suffered a cardiac arrest while stood outside the museum gift store where her daughters were only a few feet away, was not the ideal time to lean in and kiss Rick on the lips, but she did. Whether it was because of the way he easily comforted her, or because his touch set her core alight, she wasn't sure, she just knew that she needed to touch his lips with hers.

It wasn't a deep, passionate, tongue wrestling kiss like she would have wanted, but a quick peck that still made her head swim when she pulled away.

"Uh…", Was all she could muster when she realised what she had just done, and embarrassment instantly took her by the throat, "I'm so… so sorry"

Rick gazed down at her with no indication that he was horrified by her bold move, "...Don't be"

"God", She slapped her hand to her forehead as she looked away from him, "I should just…"

Michonne didn't think she could be any more embarrassed until she locked eyes with Elodie, who was stood nearby clutching another canvas picture, wearing the largest smile Michonne had ever seen on her face, but sadly her daughter also reacted awkwardly when she realised she had been discovered, so she spun around to walk away but collided with a cement beam that was right behind her and falling to the floor in a heap.

"Oh God!", Michonne gasped, hurrying over to her daughter, "Are you okay sweetie?!"

"Fine!", Elodie jumped back up on unsteady feet, holding the crushed canvas as she forced a smile on her face, even though the blood began to trickle down from one of her nostrils, "I mean… not really?".


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:**

"How are you feeling?"

Rick watched Elodie carefully as she rolled her big brown eyes up to meet his, muttering beneath the ice pack provided to her by a nurse, "Not bad.."

He smiled at the fact that she still had a positive attitude, despite the possibility that she may have broken her nose, "You hit that wall pretty hard.. What were you doing?"

Elodie quickly dropped her gaze away from him as she mumbled unsurely, "I can't remember.."

"Dad, look", Carl called in an amused tone from across the room, having found a box of surgical gloves, "They have all this stuff"

"Get away from there", Rick responded firmly as he shook his head with despair, "Those aren't there for you to play with"

"Well I'm bored", Carl argued, before giving Elodie an apologetic look, "Sorry.. I just hate hospitals"

"It's okay. I hate them too", She sighed, lying back on the bed with a huff as she looked up to the ceiling.

Rick found himself feeling obligated to entertain both of the pre-teens, though he had no idea how to. He had already struggled to find the right words to say to Elodie after she had learned about her father's heart attack. The man had rubbed Rick the wrong way on more than one occasion, and he struggled to find any kind of sympathy for her father, but he did his best to at least appear concerned. He also did his best not to let the secret kiss he shared with Michonne distract him, though it plagued his mind from the moment it happened.

It was the last thing he would have expected from her, especially as they were in a busy museum store and only a few feet away from their children, but he found it wonderful all the same.

"Well as soon as the nurse comes back and gives you the all clear, you can go see your dad", Rick pointed out carefully, while keeping an eye on his son, "I'm sure he'd be happy to see that you're fine"

Elodie slowly nodded as she continued to look up at the ceiling, "Yeah.. you're right"

"Are we still going to get something to eat? I'm starving", Carl announced, pulling a surgical glove free from the box, "Can we get burgers?"

Rick inhaled tiredly as he prepared to answer the boy, when he heard Elodie add, "I'm pretty hungry too"

"Of course you both are", He sighed, looking from one child to the other, "I should have known"

Carl sniggered, while Elodie offered a weak smile from beneath her icepack, "...Is my mom going to come back soon?"

"Uh...", Rick instinctively looked towards the door when he heard it open, "She should be..."

"How's our girl doing?", The nurse quizzed cheerfully as she strolled into the room, wearing a smile from ear to ear.

"She's doing…", Rick took a glance at Elodie, who tried to nod her head to signal that she was fine, but ended up wincing in pain. Rick looked back at the woman, "It's not _broken_ , is it?"

"Well the good thing is, it's definitely not broken, but the bad news is that you're going to have quite some bruising for a little while", The nurse made her way closer to Elodie, "And I'm going to let you keep that ice-pack, so you can just keep that on there to keep the swelling down"

"Great", Elodie replied, trying to match the woman's cheerful tone, "So I can go now?"

"You can, but right after we get everything sorted at the front desk…", The nurse looked at Rick with a slightly confused smile, "Will her mother be coming back…"

"Yeah, I'll give her a call", Rick nodded, reaching into his pocket for his phone, "She's not far"

Rick could only imagine that Michonne had her hands tied with her ex-husband and his fiancé' so he was happy to wait with Elodie while she made whatever arrangements she had to, and judging from his son's inability to stop talking, Carl was enjoying her company too.

"Once I broke my collarbone", Carl informed Elodie as they stood by the front desk, "I was surfing down a flight of stairs on a mattress"

Elodie blinked at him, "Why?"

"It's fun, we can do it at my-"

"No, you can't", Rick ejected dryly as he waited for Michonne to answer her phone, "I'm not bringing you both back here, her mother would-"

"I was just about to call you", Michonne answered, "Where are you?"

"We're at the front desk, the nurse said everythan's alright, she'll just have some bruising but she hasn't broken anythan'.."

"Oh thank God", She huffed, "Alright, I'm coming"

"Alright"

"..It doesn't look that bad", Carl narrowed his eyes as he examined Elodie's nose, "You look a bit like a panda"

Her eyes widened, "Really?"

"A cool panda though", The boy hurriedly added, "Not like... a _weird_ panda or anything"

Rick inwardly cringed for his son, so decided to interrupt the awkward conversation, "So you both want burgers?"

That caught their attention, as they immediately nodded with enthusiasm. It dawned on Rick that Elodie had yet to see her father, and it was as if she had read his mind as she looked down the hall as she said, "I don't want to go"

Rick straightened up, "...I think he would really like to see you?"

She dropped her gaze as she turned back around, "No, he wouldn't"

Elodie had shown Rick, and everyone else that came into contact with her, that she could be an incredibly well mannered, intelligent, charming girl with a smile that went from ear to ear, but he was beginning to see that she was even more hurt by her family's current situation than he had initially believed. It would take more than just a few weekends spent in her mother's care to fix that.

"...If you go now then we can wait for you, right dad?", Carl suggested uncertainly as he looked to his father.

Rick stared at his son for a moment, then turned his attentions back to the girl, "Yeah. We'll wait for you here and then when you're done we can go get something to eat"

Elodie shifted from foot to foot as she looked everywhere else, "I know what you're trying to do..."

"Come on, it'll be fun", Carl insisted.

Rick felt his lips curl into a smile as he witnessed his son's attempts to get her to see her father. Elodie appeared to be battling with the idea, her big brown eyes avoiding looking at either of the males until she finally sighed, "...Do I have to stay long?"

"You stay as long as you like, just let him see you", Rick placed a hand on her back, "We'll leave as soon as you're done"

"There you are!", Michonne declared tiredly as she power walked over to trio, "I'm so sorry about that- I just had to speak to the doctor and get a few things in order- Colette's still up there"

"That's alright, uh… Carl why don't you tell Elodie about the time you broke your ankle?", Rick suggested, hoping to his son would take the bait and allow him to speak to Michonne privately for a moment.

Carl's face lit up, "Oh my god- it was great! Me and my friends were trying to climb this tree in our backyard…"

Rick took a small step over to Michonne and lowered his voice while his son began his tail, "I kind of promised her that we'd go and get somethan' to eat when she was done seeing her father…"

Michonne's neatly plucked brows rose up high, "Oh? Really? I mean- you don't have to-"

"She wasn't exactly jumping for joy to see him", Rick explained, "So I sorta' made a deal with her; if she sees him then we can go"

Michonne's shoulders fell as she peered at her daughter's back, "Oh, great"

"...Oh, I should also tell you that her nose isn't broken or anything but… as Carl said, she's going to look like a 'cool panda' for a while"

The woman frowned at him before she began to smile.

"Yeah, my son actually said that", Rick admitted flatly, "And he reassured her that she wasn't like, a weird panda of anything"

"Oh thank God he cleared that up", She snickered, "We wouldn't want her to think that she's a 'cool and weird panda' or anything"

"Of course not", Rick enjoyed laughing with Michonne, and found himself unable to look anywhere but at her. He loved the way her eyes appeared to sparkle and her nose wrinkled. Her smile was unfairly contagious, her full lips curving up away to expose her pearly white teeth. He couldn't get enough of her.

"Um…", Michonne began basically as she looked past him, "I probably need to sign some forms-"

"Oh yeah, go ahead", He spluttered, stepping to the side so she could pass him. He was sure he looked a fool as he watched her sashay to the front desk with a goofy smile on his face, but he didn't care.

He wanted to scream from the rooftops that the most beautiful woman he had ever seen had kissed him, and she was happy to spend more even more time with him. He couldn't believe it, and he didn't want anything else to interrupt their day.

"You enjoying yourself?", Rick asked his son as they took a seat on a wall at the front of the hospital after Michonne took Elodie to see her father.

"Yeah. It's been cool", Carl nodded, kicking his feet back and forth.

"You and Elodie seem to get along great?"

"Yeah. She's cool."

Rick was beginning to see a pattern, "Colette?"

"She's cool too."

He narrowed his eyes at his son, "Their mother?"

Carl shrugged, "Yeah she's pretty cool, too."

Rick was tempted to pinch the bridge of his nose, "We need to start expanding your vocabulary beyond the word ' _cool_ '."

His son snorted at him, "I don't know what else to say. They're cool. Today was cool. I'm cool"

Rick sighed as he looked out to the parking lot, "Well, we're still gonna' work on expanding your vocabulary, but I'm glad you enjoyed yourself"

"Yeah. I did", Carl looked in the same direction as his father, "And I'm glad that you're cool"

Ricks eye brows sprung up in surprise, "You think I'm cool, too?"

"Yeah", His son peered at him through squinted eyes, "Elodie told me about her dad. He sounds lame."

It was something Rick could easily agree with, "Well, yeah. Not sure I'd use that exact word to describe him but uh, that sums him up well"

Carl smirked, "What word would you use to describe him?"

"I'm not telling you that"

"Oh come on, dad! You said I need to ' _expand my vocabulary_ '!"

Rick scoffed, "Yeah, but not with those kinds of words"

Carl's eyes lit up, "It's a bad word? Can I guess?"

Rick shook his head with despair as he looked up to the afternoon sky, "God, why me?"

The Grimes males sat on the wall chatting away while they waited, and while Rick was prepared to wait sometime time for Michonne and her daughter's return, they only ended up waiting for a short time. Such a short time that Rick had to check his watch when he saw them coming.

"...Are you all done?", He asked sceptically, eyeing Elodie in particular.

"Yep.", The girl nodded from behind her ice pack, "Let's go!"

Colette quickly agreed, "Yeah I'm actually starving now"

Rick watched the trio join together and begin their discussion on food, then whispered to Michonne, "Did she even go in the room?"

The girl's mother groaned, "I basically had to shove her in there, then stand behind her because she kept backing away"

Rick didn't mean to laugh but he did, "I'm sorry, it's just… I had no problem picturing that"

A small smile formed on her face as they walked at a similar pace, "I do understand why she didn't want to go in there… I don't think I would have wanted to either but… I just can't behave the same way he does. I don't want to turn them against him-"

"You did the right thang", He insisted, "Though I think that he's the one that needs to start putting some effort in with her"

Michonne groaned as she rolled her eyes, "Don't ever let him hear you say that, you'll make him think that I've brainwashed you or that I have you under my little spell"

"Well he wouldn't completely wrong about that", Rick almost froze in horror when he realised what he had said aloud, "I mean- what I meant to say was that…Are you laughing at me?"

He stopped when he saw Michonne peaking at him from the corner of her eye, biting her lip as a gleeful smile spread across her face. She sniggered at him, "I'm sorry, that was rude- what was you meant to say?"

He growled from embarrassment, "I can't remember"

"I think you do", She teased, but something in her attitude changed almost immediately, "...I should probably apologise by the way… for earlier?"

"Apologise? Why?", He slowed down so he could look at her properly, "Why would you wanna' do that?"

"Because it was inappropriate?", She scoffed, shaking her head as if she were trying to rid her mind of the memory, "I shouldn't have done that then…"

Rick began to shake his head for a different reason, "I don't want you to apologise for that"

She dropped her gaze to her shoes, "I'm not apologising for doing it, I'm apologising for when I did it…"

Rick was pleased for the clarification, and he was about to think up something clever to reply but he noticed the trio ahead of them had stopped by his truck and looked back at their parents. Naturally he noticed that Elodie was the only one wearing a grin from ear to ear, while Carl and Colette appeared mildly confused but overall, very uninterested. He cleared his throat as he looked for her vehicle, "Alright, so what's the plan? Burgers, right? You know any good places?"

"...Burgers?", Colette repeated as she tilted her head to the side, "Does it have to be burgers? Can't we try something else?"

Rick shrugged, "Sure, what did you have in mind?"

"How about… chicken? Waffles?"

Carl's eyes grew with excitement, "Yes!"

"Are you all purposely avoiding the healthier choices?", Michonne frowned at the children stood in front of her.

"...That actually sounds pretty good right now", Rick confessed as he thought about it.

"Yeah it does", Elodie chimed, "I don't really mind though, but I really want to get a head start on seeing how you all did on those quizzes"

It was Rick's turn to perk up excitedly, "Are you gonna' grade those today?"

"I can", She adjusted her ice pack on her face.

"Can you let me know when you're done with mine? In fact I'll be happy to help you grade the others too-"

"Oh my God", Colette breathed as she ran a hand over her face, " _There's two of them_ "

"Alright let's go!", Michonne prompted as she wore a strained smile, "The two of you can discuss this at the restaurant"

Rick was forced to take his focus off the quiz and apply it elsewhere as they left the hospital. The day was beginning to wind down, and while their plans had been interrupted for a short while, he was glad to get back on track. He was truly enjoying himself, and he was pleased to learn that so was Carl.

He could admit that if he hadn't crossed paths with Elodie then they wouldn't have spent their weekend in such a way. Even though he was content with the state of his life before, there was something missing. He could even say the same for Carl; while his son had his little sister and his mother there, he had seen that his boy had a tough time after the after the divorce. They boy felt as if their family had been torn apart and they had no choice but to watch helplessly from the side-lines.

Their day out with Michonne and her daughter's meant more to them than they could explain. Rick felt as if it could be the start of something beautiful, and he was secretly grateful that Elodie had decided to run away. Both times.

"...I hate to do this, but your mother could have answered this with more detail. I saw that exhibit and there was tons of information lying around", Rick held the sheet up for Elodie to see.

"Hey!", Michonne snapped from across the table, her glass of water hovering by her mouth, "I _tried_ my best!"

Elodie cringed as she studied the sheet, "...Well It's true mom, you could have written more than two words…"

Her mother narrowed her eyes at her, while Carl chortled in delight. Rick tilted his head at his son, "I wouldn't laugh if I was you, I've seen Elodie use that red pen too many times on yours"

Carl's smile fell away, "Don't do this to me, dad-"

"It's true", Elodie gave him a disappointed look.

Rick snickered as he went back to looking at Michonne's paper, "It looks like Colette's in the lead so far"

" _Of course_ ", The teen grinned as she flicked her poufy ponytail, "Winning is a habit"

Michonne and Elodie both groaned dramatically at the girl, leading Rick and Carl to chuckle at their response just as a waitress appeared by their table with plates stacked on her forearm, "Alright, you guys ready to tuck in?"

Rick began to move the sheets of paper out the way when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He slipped out of the booth to answer when he saw it was Lori, "Hey?"

"Hey! How's things? Carl?", His ex-wife chirped happily in the receiver.

"Good, we're just in the city getting somethan' to eat… Everythan' alright over there?", He slowed as he reached the entrance to the restaurant, choosing to stand around in the waiting area rather than leave.

"Yeah, fine… it's just…do you think you can keep Carl until Monday night? I'm working until late tomorrow and don't want to pick him up too late. Judith's with her other grandparents so-"

"Sure, no problem", He agreed easily as he raked his fingers through his hair with his free hand, "We might get back a little late today so he can just relax tomorrow"

"Thanks, that's great… So you're in the city? Why'd you go so far out?"

"Oh uh, you remember the girl I brought with me to the-"

"Of course I do- is she okay?"

"Fine", He quickly answered, "We just met up with her and her sister and their mother today. Went to a museum"

"You got Carl in a museum? On the weekend? How much did you pay him?"

Rick smirked, "I didn't have to. He went in there and he had fun so I think we need to thank Elodie for that"

"Of course", Lori chuckled, "Buy her whatever she wants"

"I might just have to", Rick sighed, looking towards their table. Carl and Colette were already busy eating, while Michonne appeared to be intently listening to her younger daughter as she held a sheet up and used her pen as a guide. He smiled to himself, wishing to end his conversation with Lori so he could return to them, "So, uh yeah. Monday it is."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

Rick nervously exhaled as he looked at the glossy white door in front of him. He was meant to lift his hand to knock but he wanted to give himself the once over; Lori had always told him he looked great in black so he went for a dark shirt and tie, pants and shoes. He thought he looked like he was on his way to a funeral but she assured him that it was stylish. He tried to slick his hair back but a few unruly strands fell to his forehead defiantly and his beard could only be tamed to some extent.

He hoped that he looked presentable. He whispered a few encouraging words to himself, then forced himself to knock on the door firmly, so there was no going back. A few moments of silence passed before he heard footsteps barreling towards the door that came to a halt with a loud thud. Seconds later he was greeted with the view of Elodie, who was bouncing around on one leg as she rubbed her foot over a large, pink and fluffy slipper, "Hey!"

Rick eyed her carefully, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah! Fine!", She insisted, putting her foot back down quickly. She looked as if she were in her loungewear, which consisted of an oversized t-shirt and leggings with a cheetah print pattern. She waved him in, "Come in, my moms said she's almost ready"

"Thank you, but I'd appreciate it if you stopped hurting yourself. At least wait a while before we have to take you back to the emergency room" He stepped into the home and was immediately hit with the smell of burnt popcorn, "...Are you cooking somethan'?"

"Colette was experimenting with the popcorn and burnt a batch", Elodie explained as she closed the door behind him, "It's fine, we've got the fire extinguisher nearby"

"Well, that's not worrying at all", Rick smirked as he peered around the home; it was spacious, with high ceilings and rather expensive looking furniture. He looked back at Elodie and saw that she had a crazed smile on her face. He tried not to laugh, "Now I know what you're thinking, but remember this is just a chance for your mother and me to get to know each other¬"

"She likes you", Elodie blurted the words out so quickly that he almost didn't understand what she said, "I mean… I know she does, I mean I think she does- She tried on four different outfits"

Rick squinted at the young girl, "And that's a good thing?"

Elodie hurriedly nodded her head, "She wants to look really nice. Nicer than usual. I think she's wearing her most expensive pair of shoes too and she never wears those. _Ever_. They have their own shelf."

Rick was very pleased to hear that Michonne was going through so much effort for their date but he didn't think that she needed to do much. She was stunning. He couldn't help but repeat, "She has a pair of shoes that she doesn't wear? _Why_?"

Elodie appeared just as baffled as he did. She narrowed her eyes away from him, "You know… I really don't know? Whenever I ask her way she starts to explain but then we end up doing something else…"

Rick pursed his lips together when he felt the urge to chuckle. He wanted to explain to her that her mother simply didn't want to answer her question but he felt something brush past his calf, and he was surprised to see a hugely fluffy, white cat sashay away from him, "Didn't know you had a cat?"

"Yeah. She's my mom's", Elodie explained as she stood beside him to watch the feline head towards the living area, "Her name's Cat"

Rick narrowed his eyes, "The cat's name is Cat?"

Elodie shrugged, "It's actually quite fitting when you think about it"

"Hey, Mr. Lieutenant", Colette greeted coolly as she turned a corner, apparently coming from the kitchen as she held a more pleasant smelling bowl of popcorn in her hands. She stopped on the other side of Rick and looked towards the living area too, "What are we talking about?"

"Cat", Elodie replied.

"Oh.", A lazy snort of laughter came from Colette, "Yeah. The cat's name is Cat. Obviously my mom's super creative"

Rick couldn't contain this chuckle. He scratched his brow with his thumbnail, "It's definitely unique. I don't think I'll ever hear anythan' like it ever again… So what do you girls have planned for the night?"

Elodie huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Researching eighteenth-century Russian architecture"

"Oh?", Rick peered at her curiously, "For school?"

Elodie shook her head at him, "No."

Rick stared at her for a second or two before he nodded. He then turned to Colette, "And you will be doing anythan' but that?"

Colette gave him a knowing look, "I would rather eat a cactus"

"I'm coming! I'm sorry- I couldn't find my other shoe!", Michonne called from somewhere in the home, leading Rick to wonder where she was, "I'm almost done!"

"What she really means is; she's not done at all", Colette added with a snicker as she plucked a piece of popcorn from the bowl.

"I heard that!", Michonne called as she stepped into view from another hidden door. She hurried down the hall as she appeared to attach an earring, and despite the fact that she seemed a little flustered, Rick was still blown away; she wore a long-sleeved lace dress that hugged her sensational figure and stopped at the middle over her calves. Her dreadlocks were wrapped in a loose bun above her head while a several locks rested on her shoulders. She wore a blood red lip and her dark lashes framed her eyes perfectly.

He cleared his throat as prepared to say something, "Hey- sorry if I'm early"

"No, no- I'm just late", She insisted as she finished fastening the teardrop, diamond earrings. She looked from one daughter to the other as she spoke to them, "Okay, so you know the rules¬"

"You won't get the insurance money if there's proof that we started the fire on purpose. We know, mom", Colette responded in a monotone as she rolled her eyes, causing her sister and Rick to grin from amusement.

Michonne groaned as she looked at Elodie, "I should have started with you first"

"Lock the door. Don't open the door to anyone. No fires. No floods. No r-rated movies. No prank calls. Keep Colette alive. Keep Cat alive. Bed by eleven at the latest", Her younger daughter repeated easily, "We know, mom"

"Good", Michonne breathed a sigh of relief as she smoothed her dress, "Well I've got both of my cell phones if you need me¬"

"Breadsticks!", Colette ejected excitedly as she walked past Rick and Michonne to put a hand on his sister's shoulder, leading her to the living area, "Bring back breadsticks!"

"And the butter! We can't have the breadsticks without the garlic butter!", Elodie called back.

Michonne's smile tightened as she turned her attention to Rick, "Let's go before they ask me for anything else"

He bit his lip as he stepped back and took hold of the door handle, "You got it".

Something became very clear to Rick as they made their way down to the street and to his vehicle; Michonne spoke a lot when she was nervous. She had been quite calm and collected in his presence before, but she hadn't stopped talking from the moment she closed her front door. Rick found it adorable, and it actually put him at ease knowing that she felt the same way he did.

"God, I'm sorry- I haven't stopped talking", She declared, appearing embarrassed as she fastened her seatbelt, "How was your day? You didn't have any problems getting here, did you? I'm not great with directions"

"Oh, it fine… I like listening to you talk", Rick had to turn his head away from her when he felt his cheeks start to warm, "And uh- I got here fine, no problem at all. It's a nice building- you have a nice house… Nice cat, too"

Michonne leaned against the headrest as she groaned, "I bet the girls couldn't wait to tell you what her name was.."

Rick chuckled quietly, "It is pretty funny. But like Elodie said, very fitting."

"Yeah… She's usually on my side with most things", She admitted sweetly, "Colette likes to…'troll' me, as she put it"

Rick frowned at the windshield as he started his truck, "... 'Troll' you?"

"It's a new word these kids are using", She explained with an exasperated sigh, "I think it means 'tease' or something"

He shook his head as he muttered, "I must be getting old"

She snorted, "You and me both. How's Carl doing?"

"Well when he's not staring at a screen or got his head in the fridge, he tells me that he's fine", Rick replied in a dry tone as he drove them down the street, "He actually enjoyed that trip to the museum. His mother was surprised when I told her… She asked if I paid him"

Michonne giggled a delightful little sound, "I'm very pleased to hear that. I'm sure Elodie would be over the moon. Her and Colette had a great time, too. I think they would love it if we did it again"

Rick glanced in her direction, "Yeah? Well we can, whenever you want- we can set somethan' up"

He noticed that it took her some time to say anything else, and when she did, there was a hint of uncertainty in her tone, "...I don't want you to feel like you have to, by the way. I know that with everything that's happened¬"

"I want to", He ejected tenderly as he looked her way again, "I mean that. And I'm sure Carl wants that as well"

She began to smile at his admission, "Well, if you say so"

"I do… That is if you don't get bored of me tonight", He joked, "I hate to say it but Carl's probably the most exciting thang about me"

"...If I remember correctly, you have dad with a glass eye", She tilted her head as she looked at the side of his face, "That sounds pretty exciting"

Rick laughed as he held the steering wheel with one hand, "Oh yeah… forgot I told you that"

"I like to remember it...And I hope you don't mind me saying but…", She allowed her gaze fall elsewhere, "But you and your ex-wife really seem to have something good going. It's nice to see"

Rick felt his mouth open and shut a few times as he tried to think of a response, "Well we do get on now, and it's natural… not forced or anythan'... I think I've mentioned to you before that It took some time to get there, but we did. To be honest with you, I think I realized that thangs had changed between she and I before Judith came along so I wasn't really devastated by the divorce… I was more concerned about the kids…"

Michonne's shoulders slouched as she sat back in her seat, "That sounds tough"

"It was probably the hardest thang I had to deal with", He confirmed, while a bitter taste grew in his mouth, "...Just felt like I was giving her up, I didn't want her to think that I just walked out on her or somethan'... I mean- she was still pretty young when it all came out and I don't think she remembers when her family was different, and I still get to see her, not as much as I'd like but somethan's better than nothing… I just convinced myself that she'd hate me for it."

"...And what about Carl? How'd he take it?", She asked carefully.

Rick almost groaned at the memory, "Not good at first. In fact, I think he only just started getting along with Judith's father a while ago. He obviously didn't know the details but I think in his mind… He just knew that his family wasn't together anymore so he blamed her father for it. He loves his mother too much to think that she had a hand in thangs"

Michonne remained silent for sometime after he spoke, but eventually piped up, "It sounds like you've been doing a great job. I hope you know that you are."

He felt himself begin to blush again, "Thank you… But uh, how's Dominic doing?"

He heard her make a strange sound, possibly a growl, "Good. He's home now and under strict orders to take it easy so the girls have been with me this entire week"

"Yeah? They must love that?", He peaked in her direction.

"They seem to… I definitely have…", She mindlessly fiddled with her charm bracelet, "...There was a time where I was really caught up in getting the store up and running and I just… I just really needed it to work. Not just for myself but because I had a family to take care of and I think I missed out on a lot because of it…"

"...Is that why he has primary custody?", Rick asked carefully.

She took a moment to voice her response, "Yep. I thought I was doing the right thing… It made sense for them to be with the parent that spent the most time with them… I didn't think it was any different to mothers getting primary custody because their husbands were the ones working… But not being able to see them every day started to get to me. I hated it. And when I did see them the time just went so quickly and I felt like I hadn't seen them at all…It was like I was missing out even more than I did before"

Rick remained quiet as he turned into a private parking lot, hoping she'd continue.

"Talking to Dominic was pointless… It still is pointless but I'm hoping that will change. It has to…", She perked up when the car came to a stop, "Sorry, I don't mean to dampen the mood¬"

"You're not- you didn't", He insisted softly, able to look at her properly now that he was no longer driving, "I think you're doing the right thing fighting for them. I've seen first hand how much Elodie wants you around, and she's told me that herself. I haven't seen much of Colette but it looks like she's happy with thangs, too. Regardless of anythan' else they need both of you in their lives, and the sooner that the two of you can figure somethan' out the better it'll be for them"

Michonne slowly nodded to show her agreement, "Yeah…"

He glanced at the building in front of them, "How about we take this inside? You can tell me more about your father's gambling problem?"

She giggled, and it was the most beautiful little sound to grace Rick's ears, "You sure you're ready to hear even more about my dysfunctional family?"

He scoffed, "I thought we already established that my family's a lot more dysfunctional than yours?"

She mimicked him and scoffed too, "Well _bring it on_ , Lieutenant"

In spite of the sensitive nature of their topic, Rick felt comfortable speaking with her. He had confessed things to her that he'd never said to anyone, and it didn't feel forced or coerced out of him; it felt natural. As if she were an old friend that had been through it all with him. He hoped that she felt the same way, too.

They finally exited his truck and made their way into the restaurant that Elodie had shamelessly suggested on more than one occasion, and Rick wasn't surprised to see that the place looked just like his date; expensive. He was sure that he could fit his entire home in the dining room alone. It was dimly lit, with soft music playing over the buzzing conversations. They were greeted by a tall, slender man who happily escorted them to a table once Michonne gave him her last name. Rick discreetly looked at other people's plates as he followed behind Michonne, and he couldn't see anything that looked even remotely appetizing, but he tried to remain positive.

"This place has the most amazing calamari", She declared passionately, holding the menu to her chest. They were seated in the worlds largest booth, which seemed pointless to Rick but when he looked around, so was everyone else. Such large seats only being used by two or three people. He considered that silly.

"I'll take your word for it", He cracked open the menu and immediately frowned; the starter, main and dessert consisted of only two options. On the opposite page, there was a list of wines and champagnes, and nothing else. There wasn't a price in sight.

"You see anything you like?", Michonne probed. She set her menu back down on the table, "Do you like lobster?"

"Uh. I do", He didn't, "So I'll go with that"

Michonne lowered her lids until she was looking at him through narrowed eyes, "...Are you sure?"

He slowly inhaled as he put the menu down, "...I don't. I'm sorry. I actually don't like seafood that much but I can stomach it so it's alright with me. Honestly, it's not a problem"

Michonne smirked and shook her head, "Alright, come on"

Rick watched her begin the journey out of the booth, "What?"

"Come on, let's get out of here", She insisted, scooting along the seat.

Rick began scooting along the other side, "Michonne, it's fine, we don't have to leave¬"

"Yes we do, because I want you to enjoy your meal, not just 'stomach' it"

"I might enjoy it- maybe it's just the seafood that I've had in the past¬"

"We're leaving", When they both finally made it safely out of the ridiculous seating arrangement, she stood up and smoothed her dress before leading the way, "Come on, I know another place we can go"

Rick followed behind her, "But you're wearing expensive shoes"

She looked back at him from over her shoulder with furrowed brows, "How'd _you_ know that?"

"...I mean, they just look expensive… They've got fur and tassels on them. I thought that might mean somethan'... I think"

He heard that sound again. He musical little laugh, "It's fine, Rick. Let's go."

When they made it on to the curb she looked from left to right, then pointed at a small burger bar across the street. Rick shook his head, "Nah, we can go somewhere else- you're all dressed up"

"And so are you!", She waved her hand at his outfit, "At least it will look like we went somewhere else first, so come on. It looks empty"

Even though she was the one insisting that they went somewhere else, Rick still felt as if he should have hidden his disinterest with the first restaurant better. Knowing she spent some time choosing the right dress to wear and that she had on her most prized shoes didn't help matters either, but she eagerly dragged him across the street and into the quiet burger bar without hesitation.

"Can I get the Texas Luau burger with some mac'n'cheese and… any shake that has oreo's in it", Michonne closed the menu when she finished with her order, "Thank you"

"Uh, I'll have the same but with fries and whatever beer you have back there", Rick added, handing the waitress his menu, "Thanks"

Rick hated to admit it, but he preferred the burger bar. It was simple, the menu had options and the booth was a perfect size for the two of them. He wasn't an extravagant man and appreciated the simple things in life, like a burger and a beer. Michonne seemed comfortable too, and she continued to look at the menu even though the waitress had walked away, "Oh my God, they have my favorite cake here. I'm ordering that. I'm definitely ordering that. That has to happen"

Rick grinned at her, "So you're happy eatin' here?"

"Of course I am", She assured him. She finally tore her gaze away from the page, "I can actually eat anywhere, Rick. I'm not fussy"

"Alright", He nodded his head slowly as he averted his gaze, "But we can go back there another time if you'd like?"

She snorted at him playfully, "Are you crazy? They have cake here, Rick. Oreo cake. If my girls were tied up on a train track like in those old black and white movies, and there was a slice of oreo cake beside them, then I'm saving all three of them. Then I'd eat the cake."

Rick laughed heartily at her joke, "So… Oreo flavored cake is very important to you. Got it."

"So what's your favorite thing? What else would you have to save on the train track besides Carl?", She sat forward and rested her arms on the table, "There must be something?"

"...Well, I think it would have to be… My mom's apple pie", He beamed, "It's the best thang you'll ever taste. Whenever she makes them, everyone in Kings County is waiting in the front yard like cats"

She chuckled at him, "Really? That good, huh?"

"The best. The next time she makes it, I'll have to bring it to you. Or if Elodie decides to take another detour into town then I'll slip some in her backpack"

Michonne groaned as she covered her face, "I'd have to swallow her whole if she does that again"

"And I'd have to look the other way", He snickered. The waitress slid their drinks on the table and flashed them a smile before slipping away again. Rick eyed Michonne's milkshake, "Oreo's _again_?"

"My weakness, Rick", Her eyes lit up as she wrapped her luscious lips around the straw. Rick forced himself to look elsewhere while she drank. He felt like a creep watching her. She then pointed her straw in his direction, "Taste."

"I'm not really into shakes…", He admitted, "Prefer the toppings"

"Someone's a fussy eater", She quipped with raised eyebrows. Rick watched her grab the spoon that was placed on top of her napkin and scoop some of her toppings off. She held it out to him, "Here"

He felt obliged to taste it. She slipped the spoon into his mouth and Rick enjoyed the combination of chocolate sauce with crushed cookies in cream. He hummed with delight.

Michonne tittered as she sat the spoon back down and reached up for his face, "You've got a little, right there"

She used her thumb to wipe the corner of his mouth and Rick suddenly forgot himself, as he turned his head a fraction and caught her thumb with his lips. He didn't know why he felt it was acceptable to clean her digit with his tongue but he did it. There was no mistaking that, but Michonne didn't immediately remove her hand, either. She let him.

"Um...", She hesitated to speak as she slowly sat back, "It's gone… now"

"Thank you", Rick replied coolly, though he was sure that his entire face was on fire, "Sorry if I¬"

"Don't apologize", Her tone had transitioned into something sensual, "It's okay"

Rick didn't know if someone had turned up the heat in the bar or if he was just experiencing a change in body temperature because all the blood in his body had rushed to one specific organ. That was something that hadn't happened in a while. It was as if his penis was screaming, 'I still work!?'. He cleared his throat and tried to regain some kind of sense, "Uh, so…Is your store around here?"

"It is", She dropped her gaze to her shake when a bashful smile spread across her face, "Not far from here actually"

"Well, I'd love to see it sometime.", All he could think about was having her thumb back in his mouth, "I'm sure that it's great."

"I'll have to show you then…"

Rick thought that he knew how to flirt, but since he had met Michonne he was beginning to question if he knew anything at all. She made him feel like a teenage boy again when he had just discovered the wonders of the opposite sex. And it didn't help that she was gazing at him with such an alluring look in her eyes that it made him melt.

He forced himself to play it cool throughout their meal, even when the urge to grab her hand and whisk her away was strong. They talked about everything under their sun; her family, his family, their jobs, their kids, their hobbies and everything in between. He loved watching how animated she became when she spoke about her daughters and the way she'd gaze around with her sparkling brown eyes when she was thinking of a way to respond to him. He was love struck.

When they were done talking the night away, they left the burger bar and went on a stroll down the street so Rick was able to see her store. She spoke so proudly of her business that he was actually rather interested in seeing it for himself.

"Why lingerie?", He asked as he stood behind her while she unlocked the backdoor into the building, "Any particular reason…"

"Uh, well it was a combination of things…", She explained as she opened the door, "The first being that I hated the styles that they sold everywhere else… and there was never any variety of sizes so I thought I'd give it a try"

Michonne flicked a switch on the wall that lit up a long hallway, while Rick shut the door behind him, "So you designed them, too?"

"Most of them, and then I found a lot of designers here in Atlanta that made their own pieces and I liked those, too", Her heels clicked as she led him past several doors and onto the main floor, "Here we are"

Rick was in awe. The ceilings were high and the walls were covered in a cream floral print that was broken up with marble display units. A row of Chandeliers lit up the center of the store and highlighted the robes and dresses on rails. He stepped further into the room and realized that he was walking on a plush carpet, "Oh… Wasn't expecting that."

"Nobody ever is", She snickered, "Go on. Look around… See something you like?"

He chuckled at her as he did as he was told, "I'm more of a… conservative man… Something a little more _traditional_ "

"I figured"

Rick eyed the pieces that hung from the hangers; some had less material than others, and some looked a little too elaborate to wear under clothing. He began to wonder if Michonne ever treated herself to any of her own designs, but decided he shouldn't go down that path of wonder.

He turned back to her, "This is amazing. Honestly...it is"

"Thank you…", Her smile was demure. She tipped her head towards the hall, "Let me show you my favorite room"

"You have a favorite room?"

"Yep.", She sashayed back into the hall, and back to one of the first doors that they passed on the way in. It clicked open to reveal an office that was designed similarly to the store floor, but this room had plenty of pictures on display, along with a seating area on one side and a desk on the other. She stepped aside to let him in, "Come in"

"It's very nice", Rick slipped his hands into his pockets as he took his time looking around, specifically at the pictures, "Is that who I think it is?"

"Yeah, Elodie. She was three in that picture and just learning to read", Michonne stood beside him and pointed at another picture above it in the glass case, "There's Colette when she was five. Most pictures you see of her will be on the basketball court"

"Elodie told me that she loved her sports", Rick said. His eyes fell to another picture below the top two and began to snicker, "Wow, you're hair looks…very asymmetrical"

"I'll have you know…", She placed a hand on her hip as she tilted her head at him, "All the girls were wearing their hair like that back then"

"...Wasn't there a girl group that started that off?"

"Yes, Salt-N-Pepa. They were inspirational"

"I can tell", He grinned as he examined the picture once again, "You look great though. It's nice that you have these here. I've only got a few pictures of Carl because he used to run around so much that he's just a blur in most of 'em"

She chortled, "I have no problem believing that. I think he and Colette would have gotten along just fine"

"Without a doubt", He looked back in her direction and let his gaze trail around her face. He hadn't realized just how close she was to him. He didn't want to gawk so he peered downward, "...I've really enjoyed tonight¬"

It was the second time that Michonne had caught him off guard with a kiss, but Rick was able to react a little better this time. He reciprocated by gingerly placing his hands on her hips but she jerked her head to look at him as soon as he touched her, "Wait, you're okay with this, right?"

Rick hurriedly nodded, "This is fine"

"Oh, okay", She touched his lips with hers again and Rick tugged her closer. Being able to suck her full, luscious lip between his teeth felt better than he imagined. He almost couldn't stop himself from licking her. She eased back but took him with her until she found the couch. He had to release her so that she could lower herself, and when she laid down he crawled on top of her.

Everything they did was above board. Passionate kissing and caressing over clothes. Rick would have been content with just that but when she brushed her thigh against his groin, the mood changed. He wanted to return the favor so he rolled up the hem of her dress, which wasn't easy but he did it. She moaned into his mouth and rubbed her thigh against his. He took that as a sign of encouragement.

He felt the heat from her core before he even touched the damp fabric between her legs. He ran his hand over her; back, forth and around in circles. She kissed him more feverishly as she combed her finger through his curls. He took it a step further by pulling the strip of material away from her crotch and stroking her bare and smooth lips.

He couldn't believe that he was playing with her that way. It turned him on so much that his poor member was rock hard and aching. He plunged two digits into her entrance and she cried out as she rubbed her leg against his groin again. Rick peered down at her as he rasped, "Is this alright?"

She breathed deeply and purred, "Take your pants off"

Rick couldn't remember a time where he moved so fast, but he kneeled on the couch and freed his penis in record-breaking speed while Michonne peeled off her thong and dropped it on the carpet. She spread her legs for him and he crawled over her. He had to kiss her, but slowly this time around. It didn't matter how excited he was, he wanted to show her that this meant more to him than it may have seemed.

She slipped her hand between them and took hold of his enlarged length. Rick extended his arms above her and watched her fondle him with long, tantalizing strokes. He nearly howled when she guided him into her warmth. Her bosom heaved as her back arched off the couch. He had to thrust slowly at first so that he could figure out if he could last for a respectable amount of time. She was purring and moaning beneath him and the sight was hypnotizing. He loved the way she gasped when he gave her his full length. He leaned down and caught her lips in a heated kiss as he began to dig deeper.

The mood in the room changed again. He couldn't get enough of her. She ran her hands through his hair as she panted, her breath tickling his lips. He wanted to rip her dress off of her body so he could see her in all her naked glory, but he hadn't completely lost his mind. They were still in her office, after all, so he'd have to make do.

They found a rhythm and stuck to it; riding each other in search of their orgasms. She grew more and more vocal; repeating his name desperately in his ear. Rick kissed and sucked on the skin of her neck while he enjoyed the way her fingers felt on his scalp. When he felt her legs begin to quiver around him he made his moves more pronounced; more purposeful. She unraveled beneath him, crying into the air as her walls gripped him. His release came only seconds after. He was unable to withstand her convulsing heat any longer.

His chest rose when hers sank, and vice versa. It took some time for either of them to say or do anything. Rick didn't want to move just yet. She lazily thread her fingers through his damp hair and ran her hand up and down his bicep. It soothed him.

"...I guess this is my favorite room for _another_ reason now"

He lifted his head so that she could see his crooked smile for herself, "I'm pleased to hear that."

Her eyes radiated such warmth when she said, "I wanted to say that I really enjoyed tonight, too"

"Me too", He rasped in a whisper. He dipped his head and kissed her with numb lips.

They both took their time to make themselves look presentable again, then left the building after making sure that the lights were off and the back door was locked. She slid her hand into his on the way back to his truck. His fingers wrapped around hers and he held her tight. Neither of them said anything but they shared a smile every other moment as if they were checking to see that the other was still happy. Rick was over the moon. He even took her hand in his again while he drove them back to her apartment. He liked the way it felt.

"...Do you want to come in for coffee or something?", Michonne offered sweetly once they were outside her door, "The girls should be asleep by now… Well, they better be"

He lifted his arm to check his wristwatch. It was past midnight. He gave her a little frown, "Are you sure that you're not tired?"

"No", She insisted. She'd already put the key in the door, "Unless you are?"

"No. Not at all".

They had both lied to each other. Twenty minutes later and they were curled up on her lavish couch snoring the rest of the night away. It was impossible to say who fell asleep first; they both kicked off their shoes and had gotten comfortable with the intention of speaking some more, but they didn't even share a sentence.

Rick woke up later that morning with a sore neck from the weird angle he slept in. He looked down his nose at Michonne and saw that she was still asleep so he tried to avoid waking her up as he checked the time. He didn't know if it would be a good idea for her daughters to see him sprawled out on the couch with their mother, but he soon learned that the scene wouldn't be an issue.

"Hey Mr. Lieutenant", Colette's face appeared above him, and Rick almost jumped out of his skin, "I made eggs"

Rick tried to take several breaths to regulate his heart beat. He tried to make his voice sound less groggy, "...Uh, okay"

Colette eyed her mother, before calling out rather loudly, "Mom! I made eggs!"

"Jesus Christ!", Michonne hissed. She slapped her hand over her face and turned and muttered something unintelligible under her breath. Rick caught a glimpse of a mischievous smile on Colette's face before she turned on the balls of her feet and skipped away.

He peered down at Michonne and gave her a little nudge, "Uh, Michonne? Michonne…"

She moved her hand from her face and showed him a set of bloodshot eyes, "Oh my God"

"Yeah… I'm still here"

She sat up bolt right and shot a glance in the kitchen area. She then looked at him with pure confusion, "Did she- did they see you?"

"Yep. She told me she made eggs", Rick whispered back as he too sat up straight, "Haven't seen Elodie yet"

Michonne groaned as she dropped her head in her hands, "How did I fall asleep?"

"We both did", Rick rubbed the back of his neck as he stretched, "I don't even think that I touched my coffee¬"

"Oh good, you're up!", Elodie hurried into the room as she tugged on a cardigan. Her smile was stretched from one ear to the other, "We're making breakfast"

"I'm making breakfast! I'm doing all the work!", Colette countered from over her shoulder.

Elodie rolled her eyes as she placed herself at the coffee table, "I'm the one giving her the recipes but, whatever… I'll go set the table."

"Uh, I'm going to get going", Rick announced gingerly as he stood up from his seat, "I'll leave you ladies to it"

Elodie's expressions changed vastly from shocked to saddened, "Wait- what? But we made breakfast?"

Michonne gave Rick an apologetic look before turning to Elodie, "Honey, he has to¬"

"You know what? It's… It's fine", Rick amended his earlier statement, "I don't need to get going right this second. I can stay for a little while if that's… If that's alright?"

Elodie's face lit up almost instantly, and she hurried over to the kitchen before anyone could say anything else. Michonne snapped her mouth shut and began to giggle to herself. Rick sat back down and looked at her, but she quickly held her hands up in surrender, "I'm sorry but you folded like a piece of paper"

"I had to- did you see her face?", Rick replied quietly, "It looked like she was gonna' cry"

Michonne bit her lip in a bid to mute her laugher, "She probably would have¬"

"You're going to burn them, Colette!", Elodie squawked at her sister, "Take them off the stove!"

"Well excuse me for being too busy making sure the rest of the food is okay!", Colette shot back in a mocking tone, "I am trying, okay? You don't know how hard it is to be the _backbone_ of this family!"

Rick looked back at the two girls, then their mother, who sighed deeply as she asked Rick, "So… Breakfast?"

He put his hand on her leg and gave her knee a little squeeze, "Sure".

 **END**

 **A/N** : I really hope you guys enjoyed this short story! Thank you so much for reading and all the reviews! Love you guys!

-Bae


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